
OassJuT/(jJL£&_ 



PRESENTED BV 



PROCEEDINGS 

OF THE 

NATIONAL CONFERENCE 

ON 

AMERICANIZATION 
IN INDUSTRIES 

An outgrowth of the National Conference of , 
Americanization Workers, held in Washington 
in May under the auspices of the Department 
of the Interior 



* 



Atlantic House, Nantasket Beach 

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 

June 22, 23 and 24, 1919 



A Round Table Conference of the Aetual Workers 

Engaged in Americanization Activities 

Within Industrial Concerns 



PROCEEDINGS /6 

— 73~V*~ 

OF THE 

NATIONAL CONFERENCE 

» < 

ON 

AMERICANIZATION 
IN INDUSTRIES 




HELD AT THE 

ATLANTIC HOUSE 
NANTASKET BEACH, MASSACHUSETTS 

June 22, 23 and 24, 1919 






4* 






RESOLUTIONS 

adopted by 

National Conference on 
Americanization in Industries 

Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts 
June 24th, 1919 



"We, the representatives of the educational forces of in- 
dustry, recognize that industry has a definite part with the 
other forces of the community in initiating and organizing 
Americanization work; therefore be it 

"Resolved, That instruction in English for non-English- 
speaking people should be carried on in co-operation with 
the public educational forces, provided those forces are 
prepared and will assume the responsibility. We pledge 
our aid in our respective communities to bring about this 
co-operation. 

"Resolved, That non-English-speaking employees attend- 
ing English classes in industry should attend such classes 
voluntarily, on their own time, and without compensation. 

"Resolved, That every industry employing non-English- 
speaking people should formulate a definite policy regarding 
Americanization work, and that such work can best be done 
when a responsible person is charged with its direction. 

* H Resolved, That we, as a representative group of in- 
dustries, unanimously disapprove making naturalization a 
condition of employment, and recommend that every com- 
munity establish at least one school for citizenship." 



program 

MONDAY, JUNE 23, 1919—10:00 A.M. 

G. F. QUIMBY, presiding Page 

Opening Address by Chairman 

GEORGE F. QUIMBY 
Industrial Service Secretary, Associated Industries of Massachusetts 1 

Address FREDERIC C. HOOD 

General Manager, Hood Rubber Company, Watertown, Massachusetts, 
and President of Associated Industries of Massachusetts 5 

Paper: "What is the Part of Industry as One Community Force 
in the Whole Program of Americanization?" 
A. H. WYMAN 
Carnegie Steel Company, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 13 

Discussion 20 

Paper: "What Manufacturing Concerns Are Actually Doing" 

(Chart Exhibit) 

A Statistical Study of Americanization Methods 
CHARLES H. PAULL 
Bureau of Vocational Guidance, Harvard University 23 

Discussion 32 



LUNCHEON— 1:00 P.M. 

Greetings from Commonwealth of Massachusetts 

HON. ALBERT B. LANGTRY 

Secretary of State 

and 

BERNARD J. ROTHWELL 

Chairman of Massachusetts Bureau of Immigration 



by 



-3:00 P.M, 



Paper : 



38 
39 



MONDAY AFTERNOON 

J. M. EATON 
Lincoln Motor Company, Detroit, Michigan, presiding 

"Economic Basis for Americanization In Industry." 
(a) Employee; (6) Employer; (c) Community 
HAROLD T. CLARK 
President Americanization Committee, Cleveland, Ohio 
(Paper read by CARL GIESSE 
National Carbon Company of Cleveland, Ohio) 42 

Discussion 47 

Paper: "Duties and Responsibilities of Plant Directors of Ameri- 
canization" 
W. G. HALL 
Spencer Wire Company, Worcester, Massachusetts 48 

Discussion 56 

Address HOWARD COONLEY 

President Walworth Manufacturing Company, Boston 61 

Paper: "Shall Instruction be Under Supervision of Public Educa- 
tional Forces?" 
H. T. WALLER 
Member of Board of Education, Akron, Ohio 64 

Discussion 

Adjournment 70 

Evening Program in hands of Entertainment Committee 
Banquet, Entertainment and Dance 



program 

TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 1919—9:30 A.M. 



B. PRESTON CLARK 
Vice-President Plymouth Cordage Company, Plymouth, 

presiding 

Paper ; 



Massachusetts, 
74 

"Methods by Which to Secure and Retain Class Attendance" 
(a) Compulsory; (6) Voluntary 
JOHN J. HOORNSTRA, Director of Education 

White Motor Company of Cleveland, Ohio 75 

Discussion 78 



Paper: "If Classes Are Held Wholly or Partly on Time of 

ployees, Shall Such Employees Be Paid for Time 

Given to Class Attendance?" 

A. J. BEATTY, Director of Training 

American Rolling Mill Company, Middletown, Ohio 

Discussion 



Em- 



82 

85 

Paper: "What Part Should Industry Take in Naturalization Work?" 

Paper by ALVAN MACAULEY 

President Packard Motor Car Company, Detroit, Michigan 

(Read by W. J. SCHULTZ, Packard Motor Car Company) 92 

E. E. BOHNER, Industrial Service Secretary 

Associated Industries of Massachusetts 96 



Discussion 



101 



Paper: 



"Utilization of Foreign Groups and Leaders in Industrial 
Americanization" 



T. A. LEVY 
President Americanization Committee, Syracuse, New York 



Discussion 



LUNCHEON 



108 
114 



TUESDAY AFTERNOON— 2:00 P.M. 
Open Forum 

C. S. CHING 
U. S. Rubber Company, New York, Presiding 114 

Brief Addresses: 

GRAYDON STETSON 

on "Thrift" 115 

F. W. KEOUGH 

Editor National Association of Manufacturers, New York 119 

JOSEPH LEE 
President Community Service, Inc., on "Community Service 

and Industry" 129 

O. L. STONE 
General Manager, Associated Industries of Massachusetts 131 

Report of Findings Committee: 

Presented by E. E. BOHNER 122 

Discussion 
Adoption of "Findings" 

in form of Resolutions 126 

Adjourned 



Americanization in Industries 

THE National Conference on Americanization in Industries 
was held at the Atlantic House, Nantasket Beach, 
Massachusetts, June 22, 23, and 24, 1919, with more than 
two hundred delegates, representing the leading industries and 
agencies promoting industrial Americanization in attendance. 

George F. Quimby, Chairman of the Executive Committee, 
presided at the opening session, which he called to order at 
10:30 A. M. 

Mr. QUIMBY. Ladies and Gentlemen, Fellow-Workers in 
Industry: As Chairman of the Executive Committee, it is a 
rare pleasure, and as a secretary of the Associated Industries of 
Massachusetts and a citizen of the Old Bay State, I esteem it 
a real honor to be privileged to open this National Confer- 
ence on Americanization in Industries. 

We have not come here at the call of any one organization, 
but we have come because we are all vitally and deeply inter- 
ested in a real crusade — the cause of making America under- 
stood and loved by all the people who are fortunate enough to 
live under the Stars and Stripes! We come from similar tasks 
in manufacturing establishments from many states, realizing 
that our interests are common and that there is need for mutual 
co-operation in the promotion of Americanization in industry. 
I think we desire that the voice of industry shall be heard 
clearly and in positive terms on the subject of Americaniza- 
tion. 

At no time in the history of our country has there been such 
need for the forces of true Americanism to stand together and 
to work unitedly. There are many influences bidding for the 
support of the aliens in America. Too often these forces are 
anti- American, and they gain adherents from immigrants who 
have lived in America — but without ever feeling "at home" 
here. We have failed to reach them with positive helpful Ameri- 
can contacts. Of the thousands upon thousands of foreign-born 
people who are now going back to their native lands, a dis- 
heartening proportion declare that they will never return to 
the United States. Something is wrong somewhere — and I 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

think we will all agree that the immigrants are not entirely at 
fault. 

The war has focused public attention on the need for Ameri- 
canization. Everybody recognizes that while past efforts were 
commendable so far as they went, they were (even when all 
put together) hopelessly inadequate to reach the entire need. 
Public interest is keen today. This new interest must be trans- 
lated into action — and if action is to be in the right direction, 
there must be a new co-operative alignment of all public and 
private agencies. 

In this new alignment an appraisal is being made to determine 
the natural contact and sphere of influence with the foreign- 
born of each American agency and institution. 

Industry has always had an unconscious Americanizing influ- 
ence on its employees. But in the positive conscious educa- 
tional activities, manufacturers in the past have considered it 
wiser to work almost wholly through support and encourage- 
ment of community agencies. The new popular appraisal in 
Americanization quite generally gives industry work to be 
done within the factory walls, in addition to the outside com- 
munity efforts. This is especially true in respect to educational 
classes, where the attempt is now made to create adequate, 
attractive school facilities within easier reach of non-English- 
speaking and illiterate adult employees. Other industrial ser- 
vice activities are likewise being adjusted to reach all employees 
in order to multiply the personal contacts of aliens and Ameri- 
cans and to develop mutual interests between them. 

The war years just passing have seen many valuable experi- 
ments and experiences along these lines in the industrial con- 
cerns represented in this Conference. We are here for the 
purpose of comparing notes on these experiences. We want 
to know — and we ought to learn — what direction industry is 
taking in these activities. The Department of the Interior, along 
with other departments of our Federal Government, is trying 
to point the right path for all Americanization agencies to follow. 
The Division of Americanization of the Federal Department 
of the Interior held a Conference of actual Americanization 
workers in Washington last month, May 12-15, 1919, with a 
program embracing the educational, racial, industrial and 
social aspects of this nation-wide movement. The several 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

hundred men and women in that Conference compared methods, 
ideas, and experiences used in their work among the foreign- 
born elements of the population. 

Mr. F. C. Butler, Director of Americanization for the Depart- 
ment of the Interior, asked the members of the Conference 
present from industrial concerns, to formulate the principles 
which should govern the work of iVmericanization in industries. 
When we got together in this industrial group we numbered 
about thirty — most of us employed in the Service or Educa- 
tional Departments of our respective industrial concerns. We 
held three hurried meetings, which were sandwiched in between 
crowded and interesting sessions of the large Conference. At 
the last meeting, held at the Hotel Powhatan, on May 15, 1919, 
we unanimously agreed to present the following statements to 
Mr. F. C. Butler: 

1. We believe that all employers of non-English-speaking 
people, whether in industrial establishments or elsewhere, have 
an opportunity and a real responsibility to interpret America, 
whether they desire it or not. 

2. We believe that industrial employers are recognizing this 
fact in increasing numbers, and that as one community force 
they want to join hands co-operatively with others who are 
actually working to interpret America. 

3. We recognize that methods of work are many, and all have 
a place in the program. We do not desire to let snap judgments 
determine a standardization of methods which would seem dog- 
matic. It is, therefore, our judgment that a larger representation 
of industrial men and women of actual experience in this field of 
endeavor should be brought together to discuss and formulate 
a body of opinion which can stand as the real voice of industry. 

We propose to hold an industrial conference within one month, 
at which we hope to assemble a sufficient group to give the widest 
experience and to spend time enough to reach definite conclusions. 

This is the genesis and the history of events which have 
led to this First National Conference on Americanization in 
Industries. 

I want to stop right here to say that the idea that this type 
of Conference should be held was not confined to the industrial 
section of the Washington Convention. Almost simultaneously, 
the very same week of the Washington Conference, a group of 
manufacturers, meeting in New York under the auspices of the 
National Council for Industrial Defence, voted to call a national 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

conference in Industrial Americanization. But when that body 
learned of the plans for this Nantasket Conference they very 
generously and heartily joined hands with us in planning for this 
meeting. 

The Industrial group at Washington elected the Steering 
Committee which has planned and prepared this Nantasket 
gathering. The time of preparation has been short, and we 
are, therefore, especially happy that so many of you have found 
it possible to cut loose from pressing demands at home long 
enough to give this discussion on industry's part in American- 
ization the benefit of your experience and judgment. 

Now, the Conference is yours, and you are all members of 
the Committee. 

I think we will agree that industrial concerns which enter 
into a program of Americanization within their plants should do 
so in a thorough-going manner, making the work a factor in 
management and having it properly co-ordinated with com- 
munity forces. The policies involved should be considered from 
all necessary angles. Your Steering Committee in this Con- 
ference has therefore arranged the program so as to give oppor- 
tunity for adequate discussion of the more important policies 
in industrial Americanization. You may think that some vital 
questions are omitted from the printed program. That is why 
Tuesday afternoon is left open for forum discussion. Subjects 
will then be considered which you propose to the Program 
Committee. Tell your desires in this matter to the Program 
Committee to-day. 

We have tried not to crowd the program. Each subject will 
be brought before us in a fifteen-minute paper. Then ample 
time will be allowed for discussion from the floor, after which we 
propose to call for an informal vote showing how the Conference 
stands numerically on the question at issue. These votes will 
help the findings committee prepare a statement of policies for 
the adoption of the Conference in its closing session. We hope 
you will enter freely into the discussions. Give us your con- 
victions on these questions, based on your actual experiences. 
But please keep to the subject under discussion. Help to make 
the published findings of this Conference a statement from 
industry which shall be positive — not negative; susceptible of 
growth, not hampered by hard-and-fast rules; and, most im- 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

portant of all, based on the fundamental principles of American 
life — a sound, social order. 

The National Association of Manufacturers, in calling its 
recent annual convention, issued a statement on the purposes 
of conventions. 

I think it is worthy of our consideration here. "Conventions 
of those who are identified in industrial and commercial activi- 
ties serve many important purposes: First, they bring out the 
best thoughts, methods and procedure of the day, eliminate waste 
effort, and make for general stability. Second, they dignify a 
calling and teach men that there are honors in patient and useful 
service. Third, they stimulate the element of friendship in the 
busy and widely-scattered industrial world, which enables, 
through the personal touch, an estimate of contemporaries." 

If these purposes are ours in this Conference, these two days 
at Nantasket will be memorable, not only in our own lives, but 
also in the lives of the many immigrants whom it is our privilege 
and duty to win for America. [Applause.] 

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am very happy to be able to intro- 
duce Mr. Frederic C. Hood, Treasurer and General Manager 
of the Hood Rubber Company, Watertown, Mass., as the first 
speaker in this Conference. Mr. Hood is president of the 
Associated Industries of Massachusetts. He has had a very 
valuable and interesting experience during the war as a member 
of the War Labor Board, and he is also Treasurer of the 
National Industrial Conference Board. I am sure that Mr. 
Hood has a message we shall all want to hear, and without 
further introduction I will call upon Mr. Hood. [Applause.] 

Mr. HOOD. Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: It is a 
great honor to the Associated Industries of Massachusetts that 
you have selected Massachusetts as a place to confer on 
problems of Americanization, and it is a great honor and 
pleasure to me to have this privilege of welcoming you here and 
to be able to thank you in person for coming. 

There will be much wisdom talked here, and I am sure there 
will be great sanity in your discussions, but the usefulness of 
this meeting depends not on what is said here, but on what is 
done by each of you after you leave. 

Results come from executive management, but policies and 
principles are discussed in just such deliberative management 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

meetings as this. In trade or state associations, any group of 
people in convention like this, and a board of directors in industry 
is deliberative management. 

Success or failure comes from the work of executive manage- 
ment, and an association is as good as its staff, and cannot per- 
manently be better than its staff or rise above the abilities of its 
staff. 

May I point out to you that industry produces articles, and 
commerce trades in and distributes articles after they are 
produced. 

Thus the problems of an executive manager of a manufac- 
turing concern fall into two natural divisions — commerce and 
industry. 

Under commerce is the buying, selling, transportation, financ- 
ing, etc., and under industry is the shop. 

The shop falls into two natural divisions: the management 
of materials and the management of persons, sometimes wittily 
called the problems of mechanics and the problems of humanics. 

The management of materials is applied science, and the 
management of persons, we can all agree, should be applied 
religion. 

A problem in the management of persons in industry is edu- 
cation, for the function of a manager in industry is to "teach, 
not boss." 

We all believe that the teaching of sound economics, based 
on proved facts and data, is the safety of our industrial insti- 
tutions, but that our whole life and civilization depends on 
sound teaching in our schools and colleges and industries. 

There is no condition in our community life, in my opinion, 
that should cause us as serious concern as the general problem 
of education. 

There was appointed by the Massachusetts Legislature of 
last year a Commission for the purpose of investigating educa- 
tional problems and affairs in Massachusetts, and that Com- 
mission has made its report. 

One phase of the Commission's report deals with American- 
ization and the proposed law (page 155 in the report) is an 
attempt to compel our alien labor to learn to speak, read, and 
write in the English language. 

It penalizes the employer if he permits a person to be 

6 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

employed who cannot "speak, read and write in the English lan- 
guage with proficiency equal to the fourth grade Massachusetts 
standard, or unless the person attends for at least three hours 
in each of forty weeks in each year, a school or class approved 
by the school authorities of the city or town in which he or she 
is employed." 

The Hood Rubber Company has its plant in Watertown, but 
the majority of its employees do not live in Watertown. They 
are separated into twenty or thirty different cities and towns. 
The largest number reside in Boston. About two thousand live 
in Watertown, about eighteen hundred come from Cambridge, 
and several hundred from Somerville, and so on. 

So that bill requires us not to employ persons unless the 
Watertown school authorities approve the thirty or forty differ- 
ent systems of schools or classes in the localities in which the 
persons respectively reside. 

If Watertown does not approve the Cambridge standard, and 
Cambridge does not like the Watertown standard, the employer 
has no choice but to discharge the employee or pay the fine, 
notwithstanding the fact that the employee may be educated 
in English according to the Cambridge standard. 

Further, the bill refers to the "fourth grade Massachusetts 
standard." As far as I can discover, there is no such Massa- 
chusetts standard. 

Of course some means for instructing employees in English 
is desirable, and employers are always desirous of co-operating 
with what protects and benefits all the people of the state. 

The Associated Industries of Massachusetts, an association 
of over twelve hundred manufacturers, of which I have the 
honor to be president, is engaged in Americanization work among 
its alien employees, and one phase of the work is the teaching 
of English in a practical way, both in and out of the shop and 
workroom. 

We would much prefer that the work be done by an efficient 
educational system of Massachusetts, and industry would 
certainly co-operate with such a system. 

But let me say that teaching the English language is not 
Americanization; it is only one step. 

Let me again point out that Americanization is a community 
and not an industrial problem. 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

There should be minimum standards adopted for education, 
but the adoption of minimum standards does not level down- 
ward — it definitely encourages individual initiative. 

What we need at the present time is a working principle for 
immigration restriction. 

The poorest test in the world is the illiteracy of an applicant. 
The best immigration of our early days was illiterate; the most 
dangerous at present might be the over-literate. 

We need protection from the criminal, the diseased, the de- 
pendent, or those likely to become public charges, and, above 
all, from those who either themselves practice and preach the 
destruction of the house in which they come to live, or are from 
countries presently so ruled, controlled, or excited that it is 
reasonable to presume, until the presumption is overcome by 
affirmative evidence, that they are likely to infect our national 
life with the most dangerous form of contagion — mental disease. 

The Associated Industries of Massachusetts has not under- 
taken work which might be called applied science. The indus- 
trial management of this state is highly skilled in the art of 
things material. 

The Associated Industries of Massachusetts has given study 
to the science of human relations. There are fifty-seven varieties 
of industrial management, and only those are good, if not one 
hundred per cent efficient, as are based on the square deal, a 
sound heart, and the Golden Rule. 

We do not deceive ourselves into thinking that all of our 
employees have self-starters, or that all of our employees are 
sound thinkers, because many can read and write only poorly, 
while some are non-thinkers and some are unsound thinkers. 

The great majority of wage earners are sound of heart and 
honest of intentions. They are not different from us. They 
have a heart and a soul. We, as well as they, are looking for 
leadership on problems where leadership is needed. 

Please do not ever think that modern industry is a struggle 
between capital and labor, for there is no such struggle. The 
problem is purely one of executive management. 

Please do not think that in our community life there are any 
classes of capital and labor. These words "capital" and ' 'labor' ' 
are usually used in the sense of capitalists and laborers. As 
most capitalists are laborers, and most laborers are capitalists, 

8 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

they do not exist as a class in the community. The only way 
that they can exist as classes is after they have entered industry. 

The immediate question before industrial managers is "Can 
we qualify as the leaders and spokesmen of our employees, or 
must our employees look elsewhere for leadership?" 

In the public schools I am informed that women do not con- 
tinue as teachers over two years as an average, and that their 
wages the last year were considerably less on the average than 
$500. The industries, the commercial concerns and other 
vocations pay so much more that women naturally drift away 
from the very important duty of teaching; and it is the civic duty 
of all of us to do what we can to improve the standards of the 
personnel and the selection of teachers in public schools. 

There are so many other phases of this Americanization that 
I may be forgiven perhaps if I mention a few of the other general 
problems. 

There have been many panaceas suggested as remedies for the 
problems of this readjustment period. 

The most important function of a doctor in prescribing the 
cure is the diagnosis of the disease, but so many writers are 
using words loosely and using sugar-coated phrases to deceive 
the unthinking that it would seem that the coining of sugar- 
coated phrases is the latest development in indoor sports. 

Few people know the difference between the meaning of profit- 
sharing and a production wage. Many people do not know the 
difference in the meanings of the words "republic" and "democ- 
racy," and the words "industrial democracy" have a hundred 
different meanings. 

Then there are fifty-seven varieties of shop committees, and 
these patent medicine panaceas are proposed as a cure before 
the diagnosis. 

There, is no. panacea, for. the - problems &i this . r eadj ustmeat 
period. 

There, are fifty-seven million different human minds in indus- 
try in this country, and the management of an industry or the 
management of a shop committee will be found, in the end, to 
prove good or bad in proportion to their unselfishness and to 
the soundness of the heart of management. 

What I have heretofore -called "applied religion" applies to 
both Jide&r 

9 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

There is an old adage, "It takes two to make a quarrel." Like 
many other old adages, that adage is false. It takes two to keep 
the peace — anyone can make a quarrel. 

We managers of industry have a responsibility to our stock- 
holders and to our employees, and the first duty of the manager 
is the health, comfort, and welfare of his employees. 

The opportunity for usefulness, especially on the part of 
those of you who are interested in Americanization and in 
the management of service departments in factories, is almost 
limitless, and each of us has a tremendous responsibility in 
our duties of management of our employees and in the public 
interests. 

I like to define "responsibility" as "ability to respond." 

Here are my best wishes that you will respond to your obliga- 
tions and opportunities and that you will give a good account 
of yourselves in your deliberative management here, and in 
your executive management after you leave here. 

(Mr. Quimby expressed the thanks of the Conference to Mr. 
Hood for his interest in coming to the Conference and for his 
excellent paper.) 

Mr. QUIMBY. On the reverse side of the program, under 
the heading "Executive Committee," you will see certain names, 
and you have probably seen those names signed to certain 
letters. I am going to put on these people as exhibits, so you 
will know what they look like. Our program committee is headed 
by E. C. Vermillion, of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, 
Akron, Ohio, and he has some announcements to make at this 
time. Mr. Vermillion. [Applause.] 

Mr. VERMILLION. Ladies and Gentlemen: We have at- 
tended a great many conferences and sometimes we have not had 
time to hear very many addresses, so we have attempted on our 
program in this Conference to get down to the real meat of the 
business, and to give everybody a part in the program. At the 
Washington Conference the papers which we had there were 
limited to twenty minutes, and I noticed in that Conference 
that a great many of the people who read the papers consumed 
about five minutes telling us why the time was too short for them 
to cover the subject. We have eliminated that five minutes on 
the papers, and are making them fifteen minutes in length, 
believing in that time we can get the meat of the paper 1 without 

10 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

unnecessary explanation by the speakers as to why they couldn't 
get through with the subject in twenty minutes. 

I imagine in this program we will strike some bumps — we 
have already struck one or two, but fortunately each bump is a 
boost, because we are going to have a very strong program. On 
account of the long distance between the chairman of the pro- 
gram committee and the chairman of the executive committee 
— and I don't like to say carelessness in the delivery of the 
telegraph messages — some of the names do not appear on the 
program. 

Mr. Malcolm B. Stone, Treasurer of the Ludlow Manufac- 
turing Associates, Ludlow, Mass., will preside at the afternoon 
session. The paper at 2:00 o'clock on "Economic Basis for 
Americanization in Industry — (a) Employee, (b) Employer, 
(c) Community," by Mr. Harold T. Clark, who is unable to 
be present, will be read by Mr. Carl Giesse, of the National 
Carbon Company. Following the paper of Mr. Waller, this 
afternoon, the Conference is going to have the rare pleasure 
of hearing Mr. Howard Coonley, Vice-President of the Emer- 
gency Fleet Corporation and President of the Walworth Manu- 
facturing Company. Mr. B. Preston Clark, of the Plymouth 
Cordage Company, Plymouth, Mass., will be the presiding 
officer tomorrow morning. Mr. Stretter cannot be present, 
and his paper will be presented by Mr. J. J. Hoornstra, of the 
White Motor Company, Cleveland, Ohio, who has been engaged 
in Americanization work for fifteen years. We all know how the 
White Motor Company handles things. At 10:45 tomorrow 
morning the paper which Mr. McCauley has sent will be read 
by Mr. W. J. Schultz, of the Packard Motor Company, of 
Detroit, Mich. Mr. J. M. Eaton, of the Lincoln Motor Com- 
pany, Detroit, Mich., will be the presiding officer tomorrow 
afternoon, when we shall have our "Open Forum." 

Following each paper it is proposed to have a discussion in 
which we hope everyone present representing an industry will 
have something to say. The discussion will be limited to three 
minutes for each speaker. Try to follow the program as fully 
as possible. If everybody sticks to the time limit (and I believe 
we can all confine ourselves to three minutes), we can give an 
opportunity to all those connected with industry that have 
something to say, and in this way get the full benefit of this 

11 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Conference. So our discussions will be three minutes in length, 
and we expect you all to have a part in them. 

On Tuesday afternoon the program is an Open Forum, as 
Chairman Quimby has stated, for the discussion of things 
which have not been touched upon elsewhere in this program, 
and which are perhaps vital to industry. As chairman of the 
Program Committee, I am going to ask all those who have 
questions that they would like to have discussed in this open 
meeting on Tuesday afternoon, to hand them to me, and we will 
make the best possible attempt to provide for a discussion of 
them on Tuesday afternoon. 

If you have any suggestions at all, we would be glad to hear 
them. 

(Mr. Quimby asked all those who should rise to take part in 
the discussions to kindly announce their name, the name of the 
concern they represented, and the place from which they came, 
in order that a correct record of the proceedings might be 
had.) 

Mr. QUIMBY. I want to call on Mr. E. H. Merrill, of 
the A. C. Lawrence Leather Company, Peabody, Mass., who is 
Chairman of the Entertainment Committee. 

Mr. MERRILL. Ladies and Gentlemen: We have arranged 
as the program for this evening a banquet at six or six thirty. 
Following that there will be a concert by the Knickerbocker 
Quartette, and after that there will be a dance. Mr. Vermillion 
has arranged to have a moving picture film of the work-out at 
his plant shown either here or at the moving picture house 
down below. For entertainment there is swimming, tennis and 
baseball, if we can take advantage of it this afternoon. 

The Entertainment Committee has also arranged that if any- 
one attending the Conference would like to visit industrial 
plants on Wednesday, we will make arrangements for them. 
We will ask those who want to visit plants to signify if they have 
any preference. On Tuesday night there will be reservations 
made at the Pop Concert at Symphony Hall, if anyone cares 
to go. 

Mr. QUIMBY. In my opening remarks I mentioned a 
"Findings Committee," which is to sum up the findings of this 
Conference. I announce as members of that committee Mr. 
E. H. Fiesinger, of the Solvay Process Company, Syracuse, N. Y.; 

12 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Mr. E. E. Bohner, of the Associated Industries of Massachu- 
setts; and Mr. S. W. Ashe, of the General Electric Company, 
of Pittsfield, Mass. 

Mr. A. H. Wyman, Director of Welfare Work of the Carnegie 
Steel Company, Pittsburg, Pa., has come all this way to give 
us a paper on "What is the Part of Industry as One Com- 
munity Force in the Whole Program of Americanization?" Mr. 
Wyman has been in the work for some eight years, in charge 
of education, recreation and Americanization in the Carnegie 
Steel Company, and I understand the company employs 52,000 
people. Mr. Wyman. 

(Mr. C. C. DeWitt, of the Ford Motor Company, of Detroit, 
Mich., suggested at this time that each speaker be greeted 
with hand-clapping and that he be applauded when he has 
finished.) 

Mr. WYMAN. Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: I 
think Mr. DeWitt and Mr. Vermillion have taken away a little 
of my plunder by taking away five whole minutes of my time, 
and I haven't any excuse to make now, although I must say 
that my subject gives me quite a little leeway in presenting my 
paper, and I want you to pardon any reference to the Carnegie 
Steel Company, as it is not made in any spirit of advertising. We 
won't stand for that. 

In presenting this paper on Americanization, I shall endeavor 
to outline, as briefly as possible, what the word "Americaniza- 
tion" means to me, and present the methods we, as a company, 
have undertaken to establish. 

In glancing through this Convention's program, the main 
topics for discussion deal exclusively with the teaching of English 
to the foreign-born. The papers presented at the Washington 
Conference in May dealt with methods of teaching, courses of 
instruction, agencies for fostering English classes, etc. While 
the teaching of English to non-English-speaking groups is the 
first principle in Americanization work, and leads to a better 
and clearer understanding of American ideas and ideals, I cannot 
feel that this phase of the work constitutes the Americanization 
program. The industries have been greatly benefited by in- 
structing their employees to read and write. Lost time cases 
have been lessened, through the ability of the workmen to read 
safety signs and to understand a warning shouted to them in 

13 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

English. A better spirit of friendliness now exists toward the 
company because the employee understands his orders and can 
figure out the time due him. Teaching English is the first step 
in Safety Engineering. Some mills have all safety signs printed 
in a number of different languages, while others are doing 
away with all foreign language notices. I feel that this last step 
is a little too hasty. We are not ready for the all-English sign, 
not until we have instructed our non-English-speaking employees 
in the English language. The sign with its many languages has 
its place in the mill yards, as has the foreign press in the em- 
ployees' homes. 

The attitude during the war was to do away with everything 
un-American, but by strict censorship all foreign literature can 
be properly handled. There is a message that can be driven 
home to the non-English-speaking groups, through their own 
newspapers, that cannot be accomplished in any other way. 
It has been the only means by which the foreign-born could 
learn of their homeland and of their friends during the war. 
It is a mistake on our part to think that they should forget 
their homes, their customs, and their friends across the ocean. 
It has been through the foreign press that we have been able 
to get the proper message of our Americanization classes, Liberty 
Loans, etc., to the non-English-speaking employees. In one 
of our mill centers we have used the foreign press to good advan- 
tage in stimulating interest in our English classes and attendance 
in social groups. It was the only means of approach to this 
special group of men and women. 

The part Industry should play in Americanization work ivill 
vary, due to the location of plant and size of the city. The general 
attitude of plant managers should be that of co-operation with 
existing social agencies. In the larger cities, w r e usually find a 
greater number of social agencies and a more efficient school 
board that have instituted Americanization work. In these 
cities the industries have co-operated with the school authorities 
and allowed the Director of Americanization work to organize 
classes w T ithin the plants on company time and on employee's 
time. The schools furnishing the teachers and equipment, the 
plant encouraging their employees to attend, paying men for 
time spent in school and offering the reward of a better position 
if they finished the Americanization course. 

14 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

These special schools conducted in industry under the Superin- 
tendent of Public Schools have been very successful in the New 
England States. The English classes instituted by the Y. M. 
C. A's, Y. W. C. A.'s, and Settlement Houses have met the 
needs to a certain extent in the Eastern cities. It has been in 
the Middle West that the schools and social agencies have failed 
to get the results that they should. Their courses have not been 
adapted to all classes and ages of foreign-born students of Eng- 
lish. They have depended upon the services of poorly-paid 
school teachers, whose main object in teaching after day school 
hours has been a mercenary one. These schools have also for- 
gotten the man who works day and night shifts. The grading 
of classes has been such that the willing student has no way of 
catching up with the class he started with. These are a few reasons 
that have forced industry to enter into Americanization work. Most 
of the industries have felt that it was the duty of the School 
Board to organize evening schools for instruction in English 
and recreation, in the school buildings. This plan having failed, 
in a great many instances the industries made surveys, felt out 
the needs, co-operated where possible, and established definite 
Americanization work and Social Service Departments. 

The Carnegie Steel Company employs about 52,000 men 
employees, sixty per cent of which are of foreign birth. Most 
of the plants are situated in towns of about 5,000 to 38,000 
inhabitants. Most of the towns were inadequately equipped for 
educational and recreational facilities. In 1913, Welfare Work 
was instituted. District nurses were employed to look after the 
employees' families. Settlement Houses and Day Nurseries 
have been built, in which all phases of Americanization activi- 
ties are carried on. Playgrounds, athletic fields, gymnasiums, 
clubs, etc., have been constructed, equipped, and placed under 
expert supervision. Better housing and living conditions have 
been instituted. Community gardens have been allotted to any 
employee making application for plot of ground. You may won- 
der why I have outlined all these phases of Welfare Work. It 
is because I consider them all essential factors in teaching true 
American ideals. 

I will outline some of the above-mentioned Welfare activities 
and try to show you their true relationship to Americanization. 

Take, for example, in a mill town of about three thoijsandtQ 

15 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

five thousand inhabitants. Our first method of approach would 
be through a survey, or community picture, of existing social 
conditions. After tabulating the recreational, educational, 
housing and living conditions, our next step is to find out what 
the schools, churches and other social agencies have been 
doing to meet the needs of the community. In most cases we 
find the schools have tried evening classes for foreign-born men 
and women, but have failed to continue the interest. Religious 
organizations have made their attempt and failed. It now re- 
mains for the Industrial Welfare Workers to formulate definite 
plans for reorganizing and co-operating with all existing social 
agencies. 

The following methods of conducting Americanization work 
are now successfully being carried out in our mill towns under 
the supervision of our Welfare Departments: 

1. Through the International Institute (which is the foreign- 
work Department of the Y. W T . C. A.), we have been able to suc- 
cessfully carry out a year's program of activities that has aston- 
ished us in the remarkable results secured with the foreign 
groups. 

2. Classes in English for the foreign men and women have 
been established. These classes have combined recreation with 
their educational work. Once a month each class has a social 
evening in the Community House. 

At these socials a number of American women are invited to 
take part in the evening's program. The program will consist 
of games and folk dancing. The foreign women will teach the 
group a native game or dance, and then the American women 
will teach an American game in return. This same scheme is 
worked out in the domestic science classes. For each foreign 
dish cooked, an American dish is taught also. This class work is 
planned on the same scheme that all Y. W. C. A. foreign work is 
based upon, and that is, "The whole of Americanization does not 
by any means lie in that which this country gives to the foreign- 
born." The richness of the art development of civilizations 
older than our own is the contribution — a great abundant gift — 
which the immigrant brings to America. The following outline 
will best summarize what this group work has accomplished: 
"The International Institute has been successful in reaching 
the hearts of the foreign-born women and girls because they 

16 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

have touched the women of their own respective races. They 
have made their best contribution to the Americanization 
movement in stressing the importance of using the best type of 
foreign-born women leaders to help the people of their own 
nationality. They have organized Mother's Clubs, which are 
designed to reach the 'stay at home' women. Parental clinics, 
cooking classes, food demonstrations and English classes are 
taught in these clubs. The International Institutes have acted 
as a link and an interpreter between our foreign-born and native- 
born people, and have drawn them a little nearer together in that 
community of spirit which constitutes real Americanization." 

In one of our largest mill sections we have carried our Ameri- 
canization program into three of the congested tenement sec- 
tions where the immigrants have segregated themselves. In 
each section a room has been rented in some foreign home where 
classes are held in domestic science and English. In these 
centers classes are scheduled that are conveniently arranged 
for the mothers. They can come with their babies and take ad- 
vantage of their leisure time to receive special instruction. 
These special social centers have proven very successful, and in 
each instance they have outgrown their quarters. 

Our largest mill centers have had more or less success in this 
new Americanization program. The mills have been better 
able to co-operate with the School Boards and Chambers of 
Commerce. Three years ago, through the Chamber of Com- 
merce at Farrell, a director of Americanization was hired through 
the efforts of ten of the leading industries in this section. The 
School Board finally consented to the use of two school buildings 
for the evening classes. At the end of the first school year the 
register showed a total of four hundred students, with an average 
attendance of one hundred and seventy-five. The second year 
found the school more prosperous than ever before. The third 
year, the industries had proven that every class for foreign- 
born pupils could be made a success, so the School Board 
promptly took over this activity and operate it now under a 
special budget. 

One of the greatest needs in Americanization work is that of 
recreation. The supervision and direction of our employees' 
leisure time is just as important as the care taken in their working 
hour*. 

17 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

We feel that our splendid athletic and recreational activities 
have been one of the best approaches to the heart of the foreign- 
born workman and his family. Our program has not been 
narrow, as it has dealt with the leisure time of the whole family. 

We have fifteen playgrounds, with a total force of forty 
trained play leaders. Each playground has been organized into 
a playground city. The registered attendance elect every month 
a mayor, chief of police, and other city officials. A civic value 
has been evident in the interest and efficient manner in which 
the children have handled this proposition. 

Each year our pageants and play fests give each different 
nationality an opportunity to demonstrate a native custom or 
folk dance. The Community singing secures an immediate 
response from the foreign-born men and women. 

Our year-round athletic policy in the mills has demonstrated 
that the foreign-born man and boy has a great deal of skill and 
ability in a great many phases of competitive sports. One mill 
has a group of Slavs who are interested in gymnastics and 
quoits. In another, the Italians have their bowling teams. In 
other places, the Russians and Hungarians have enjoyed partici- 
pating in their native dances. 

Recreation should hold an important part in our American- 
ization program. 

The greatest factor in creating good feeling between the foreign- 
born workmen and the industries is the personal contact secured 
through the Welfare or District Nurse. She comes in contact 
with the whole family at a time when they are in trouble. Her 
services are needed, and through this approach she has gained 
the confidence of the family. Her visits bring relief, and a confi- 
dence is established which gives her the freedom to give advice 
and to make suggestions that will change the whole attitude 
of the employee toward the industry and its program of Ameri- 
canization work. She induces the children to attend the Little 
Mothers' Clubs, the fathers and mothers to learn English, and 
to make use of the Settlement Houses, the library, and the rec- 
reational facilities in the town. 

I have tried to outline as briefly as possible the activities and 
methods the Carnegie Steel Company have instituted to direct 
the educational activities of the immigrant employees^ as well 
as supervise his leisure time. W r e have not undertaken to .do all 

18 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

the organizing or supervising of Americanization work, but 
have called in and co-operated with social agencies as well as 
educational institutes in this all-important program of events. 
It is a selling proposition, and must be sold to the community 
as a whole. 

My summary will deal with results that have been estimated 
in putting over an extensive program of Americanization 
activities. 

SUMMARY 

Success in Americanization work due to the following reasons: 
English Classes. 

1. Variation of evening program in English classes. 

(a) Singing, choruses. 

(6) Socials once a month. 

(c) Debating clubs. 

(d) Banquets. 

(e ) Interest of superintendents and foremen in men attend- 

ing Americanization schools. 
Personal contact of superintendents and foremen with 

English school students. 
(/) Americanizing the foreman. 
(g) Careful selection of teachers. 

2. Why public schools have failed to continue the interest in 
English classes : 

(a) Lack of funds. 

(6) Political influence brought to bear in picking incom- 
petent teachers. 

(c) Lack of follow-up system. 

(d) Personal contact eliminated. 

Results Secured Through Social Agencies 

1. A closer relationship between foreign-born and native-born 
people brought about by the Y. W. C. A. 

2. Through advisory councils, the foreign-born man has been 
protected against exploitation and other evils. 

3. Better management of houses leased to foreign-born tenants 

19 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

ha9 brought about higher American standards. Friendly rent 
collectors have aided in the Americanization work. 

4. The Settlement Houses have adapted the foreign-bom's 
home life and community life with that of American ideas and 
ideals. 

How Industries Can Co-operate 

1. To appoint an official, superintendent or foreman, to be 
charged with the duty of urging immigrant employees to attend 
night schools and learn English. 

2. To insert notices printed in foreign languages, describing 
evening school facilities, in the pay envelopes of employees. 

3. Ask school officials to enroll employees in the plant when- 
ever possible. 

4. Hold plant meetings and invite school officials, teachers 
and others to talk to employees on advantages of evening 
schools. 

There are two phases a separate paper could be written on, 
and that would be "Recreation" and the "Housing Problem," 
the latter especially is of a great deal of importance in teaching 
Americanization and American ideals and true American stand- 
ards. Thank you. [Applause.] 

Mr. QUIMBY. It will help the Findings Committee to 
bring in the final resolutions of this Conference, as I said at 
the beginning, if at the close of each period of discussion we take 
an informal vote to get the opinion of the body here assembled. 
The Program Committee gives you this resolution, which you 
can bear in mind in discussing Mr. Wy man's paper: 

Resolved, That the part of industry in the program of Ameri- 
canization is to co-operate with other active forces in the com- 
munity, and where such forces are not effective, the industry 
shall foster such work. 

Remember what Mr. Vermillion said — that he is holding the 
chairman of each session to certain rules, and it is up to the 
chairman to hold this conference to those rules. Three minutes 
is allowed each speaker. Please give your name, your concern, 
your position in that concern, and your city, for use in the 
published proceedings. 

Mr. VINCENT COLELLI, Instructor, Pennsylvania 

20 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Railroad. I would like to ask Mr. Wyman if he has classes in 
English for the foreign-born employees? 

Mr. WYMAN. Yes, we do. 

Mr. S. W. ASHE, Educational and Welfare Manager, 
General Electric Company, Pittsfield, Mass. I would like 
to ask Mr. Wyman, in working out this policy of handling your 
activities largely through the Y. W. C. A., whether you feel that 
you lose anything from the definite stand an organization of 
this sort might take on industrial issues? For instance, I have 
read a little booklet issued lately by the Y. W. C. A. in which 
they stated the definite stand they were taking on matters like 
decreasing the number of hours of the working day, and the 
minimum wage, and matters of that sort, and I was wondering, 
in using any organization of this sort, if you were liable to run 
into any counter influence there? 

Mr. WYMAN. I don't think the point is clear to me — unless 
you feel we lose the contact we would have if we handled it 
ourselves? 

Mr. ASHE. No. If they have definite set standards for their 
opinion by which they feel every industry should be guided, 
would you like to have these standards introduced through the 
Y. W. C. A., when your opinion might be contrary to theirs? 
For instance, if they take a definite stand on the decreased 
number of working hours and minimum wage — I don't know 
whether they have done that or not — do you feel you would 
like to have your people influenced if it did not meet with your 
approval? What sort of a regulating influence have you, if 
you have any? Suppose they go on record as standing for 
forty-eight hours a week — that is their policy. You may have 
it and you may not. In other words, has the Y. W. C. A. taken 
a definite stand? 

Mr. WYMAN. They have, but their methods vary accord- 
ing to the workers. I feel that our worst enemy to social work 
is the social worker himself, because he gets definite ideas which 
may be right and may be wrong. At the present time there is 
not any detriment in having the Y. W. C. A. people co-operate 
through their workers. 

Miss HELEN BACON, Secretary, Cleveland American- 
ization Committee, Cleveland, Ohio. The only objection 
we find to the Y. W. C. A. work is the question of religion. A 

21 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

great many foreign-born people are Roman Catholics, and 
they know that the Y. W. C. A. is a religious institution, and 
they have a feeling towards them. Whether this work emanates 
from you as Director, or whether any of that comes from the 
employees themselves, I should like to ask: Whether the 
workers take the initiative? 

Mr. WYMAN. Of course, this goes back to the old question 
of paternalism. Yes, our activities do originate with our em- 
ployees to a large extent. Three of our groups in English were 
brought to our attention by the employees themselves. They 
came to us and said they wanted to extend the work as well 
as the social activities, and we found this was true. They 
are coming to us with new phases of welfare work and asking 
us to do certain things. 

Mr. T. A. LEVY, Chairman Americanization Com- 
mittee, Syracuse, N. Y. Would you regard it profitable, if 
there was an adequate Board of Education in the town or city, 
to have all the Americanization work, including work in the 
plant, under the immediate direction and management of the 
Board of Education, rather than any other agency? In other 
words, should the education of foreign adults be a matter of 
state and municipal control rather than controlled by the 
industry itself? 

Mr. WYMAN. That would be true if they were handled 
in a businesslike manner. 

Mr. LEVY. Assuming that they were. 

Mr. WYMAN. Yes, I think it is advisable. 

Mr. O. C. SHORT, Educational Director of the Thomas 
Mattocks Company, Trenton, N. J. In a number of cities 
there are certain industries that are a small factor in the com- 
munity. Then, there are a number of large industries in other 
cities where that particular industry is the biggest factor in that 
particular city and locality. Our plant is a small plant, with 
only four hundred and fifty people employed, and possibly 
twenty-five foreign population. About five years ago we started 
practically the only Americanization work done in the city. 
We took up the question of the citizenship status as one of the 
first entering wedges there. After the work progressed, we 
thought we could turn it over to the public school authorities. 
In this way we have organized our classes in English. We went 

22 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

to the public school authorities and asked them to furnish a 
teacher if we would furnish a room, heat, and light, in the plant. 
The school authorities met us on this proposition, and since 
that time the movement has grown and extended to other in- 
dustries, and now they are practically all under the authority 
of the Board of Education in the city. The Board of Education 
has taken over all the educational classes from the industrial 
plants in the town where they have industrial classes. The 
foreigner may go to school in the industrial plant, and the 
School Board will send a trained teacher down into the plant 
and do the actual teaching. As the outgrowth of that, I would 
say that last Saturday night we had what we called "Ameri- 
canization Night," where the men passed the examination for 
the court and were also given a certificate. We held the meet- 
ing in a large hall, down in their community. Representatives 
of the federal government were there, and the mayor was there. 
These men were introduced as the new citizens to the older citi- 
zens of state and country. We had teachers to act as ushers 
and greet the men at the door and give them a handshake and 
a welcome to the meeting. [Applause.] 

Mr. QUIMBY. I will ask Mr. Vermillion to present the 
resolution again for the informal vote, and we want a showing 
of hands as to the attitude of this body on this question. I 
will ask Mr. Fiesinger and Mr. Ashe, as members of the Findings 
Committee, to handle the vote. 

(Resolution read again at this time. See page 20.) 

On motion made and seconded, it was unanimously voted to 
informally adopt this resolution. 

Mr. QUIMBY. The next paper for discussion this morning 
is entitled "What Manufacturing Concerns Are Actually Doing." 
About a year ago, we all became familiar with the report issued 
by the Solvay Process Company, of Syracuse, N. Y., which 
was prepared by Mr. C. H. Paull. Mr. Paull is now connected 
with the Bureau of Vocational Guidance at Harvard Univer- 
sity, and he has prepared his paper from a questionnaire which 
was sent to every concern we had on the invitation list. I will 
ask Mr. Paull to come forward and present his paper. [Applause.] 
' Mr. PAULL. Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: A 
little over a month ago it was decided in Washington to hord 
tluV Conference." ' Less than three weeks ago it was decided to 

23 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

make a survey of industries at the present time doing Ameri- 
canization work in order to ascertain the prevalence of certain 
methods in organizing and administering classes in English and 
citizenship. The questions which seemed of most vital import- 
ance had to do with: 

1. The relative amount of class work being done. 

2. Methods used in recruiting class membership. 

3. Methods used in maintaining class attendance. 

4. The position of English and citizenship classes in plant 

organization. 

5. The location of responsibility for administering English and 

citizenship classes. 

6. The responsibility which industry has assumed in pro- 

viding a teaching staff. 

7. The amount of preparation required of teachers of English 

and citizenship classes. 

8. The location for classes most commonly selected by indus- 

tries. 

9. The time most commonly set for convening classes. 

10. The relation of compensation to class attendance. 

11. The most desirable size for English classes. 

12. The most desirable length for a single class session. 

13. The relation of text material used to the working life of the 

members of the class. 

14. Standards of attainment. 

15* The relation of the foremen to English and. citizenship 
classes. 

16. The results of class work from the standpoint of industry. 

17. The attitude of industry toward future Americanization 

activities. 

(If I had been sure that you all had seen the questionnaire, 
I should not have burdened you with this rather tedious detail, 
but in order that you all might have it in mind, I have read it.) 

Answers to the above questions were obtained by sending out 
questionnaires to over five hundred industries located in .various 
parts of the United States. 

(I might say that I am still, expecting questionnaires to come 
in* because there was a very limited time in which we had to do 
this work. There are probably on my desk now more answers 
to the questionnaire, which I could not get, though I waited 
until Saturday noon, with the result that this paper was not 
finished until 11 o'clock Sunday night.) 

Of .these, more, than 500 questionnaires, 141, were, returned 

24 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

from ten states and Hawaii. Whether this comparatively small 
number is indicative of industry's interest in Americanization 
or its interest in questionnaires, is doubtful. Let us hope that 
the indifference can be entirely accredited to the questionnaire 
form which we are all ready to admit has grown to be an eyesore 
in the morning mail. Of the 141 questionnaires which were 
returned, sixty-one were not filled out. In some cases this was 
due to the fact that the industry had no pressing American- 
ization problem, while in other instances it seemed that there 
was little or no interest in the movement. In still other cases 
no Americanization work had been done in the past, though the 
industry was planning to organize classes of some sort before the 
close of the year. Sixty-five industries reported the holding of 
English classes, and twenty-nine the holding of citizenship 
classes during the past year. The number of English classes 
held in these industries ranged from one to twenty -three, though 
the average was three. Almost without exception, not more 
than one citizenship class was reported from a single industry, 
though in an exceptional case three classes were held in one 
plant. 

Relative Amount of Class Work Being Done 

The attendance at English classes in any single plant seems 
to have been relatively small as compared with the number of 
employees. One plant reported an average attendance at 
English classes of 150 pupils during the past season. From 
this figure the attendance runs down to as low as three. The 
average regular attendance at English classes in the industries 
reporting was thirty-four. 

In citizenship classes in the industries reporting, the minimum 
number attending in any class was eight, the maximum thirty- 
five, and the average for the plants reporting on this question 
nineteen. Besides holding citizenship classes, sixty-one plants 
have given aid in the making out of application blanks for 
naturalization. 

Methods Used in Recruiting Class Membership 

Fifty-nine industries reported on methods which they used 
in recruiting class membership. In some cases a number of 
methods were used by a single industry. Forty-six industries, 

25 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

or sixty-eight per cent, of the industries reporting, employed 
some form of personal solicitation, usually through the foreman, 
though in some cases other plant officials talked with the men 
individually; and one plant reported that members of existing 
classes assisted in * increasing the enrollment. Twenty-three 
industries, or thirty-nine per cent of the number reporting, 
used bulletin boards and posters; ten industries, or fifteen per 
cent, employed news publications of some sort; and eight in- 
dustries, or nine per cent, reported the holding of meetings. 

Methods Used to Maintain Class Attendance 

Forty-five plants reported means which they used in main- 
taining attendance in classes after they had been organized. 
As in the case of recruiting classes, the majority of industries 
employed personal follow-up methods, usually by the foreman. 
Forty plants, or eighty-nine per cent of the total reporting, 
employed such methods in some form. In the case of two plants, 
the follow-up work was done by teachers, and in the case of three, 
by students. Other means of maintaining regular attendance 
were home visiting; offering of special programs to members of 
the classes; in one case the offering of promotion; and in three 
cases attendance at the classes was a part of the men's daily work 
after they had once enrolled. It should be noted in passing 
that the tendency for personal contact with the workers, both 
in the case of recruiting and maintaining attendance, is exceed- 
ingly marked. 

Position of English and Citizenship Classes in 
Plant Organization 

Only seventeen plants reported a definite place in their organ- 
ization for the carrying on of English and citizenship training. 
Of this number, nine had classes under the direction of their 
service or industrial relations department. In five concerns 
the classes were under the employment department; in two, 
under the welfare; and in one they were part of the work of the 
education department. The lack of returns on this point seems 
to indicate that at the present time there is a more or less hap- 
hazard placing of responsibility for the conducting of English 
and citizenship classes. 

26 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Location of Responsibility for Administering English 
and Citizenship Classes 

Although there seems to be considerable doubt as to where 
citizenship and English classes should be located in plant organ- 
ization, thirty-seven of the sixty-five plants reporting some form 
of supervision have placed their work, in part or in whole, under 
the direction of one of their officials. Thus thirty-five per cent 
of the industries reporting conduct their work in this way. Ten 
per cent have organized the work under a committee of em- 
ployees. In twenty-seven plants the public schools supervise 
the work wholly or in part. In twelve other agencies, usually 
the Y. M. C. A., shares all or a portion of the responsibility; 
and in twenty plants the work is carried on co-operatively by 
two or more of the above-mentioned agencies. 

Responsibility Which Industry Has Assumed in 
Providing a Teaching Staff 

Sixty-six industries reported on the status of their teaching 
staff. Of that number thirty-four, or fifty-one per cent, paid 
the salaries of all or part of the teachers conducting classes. In 
the case of thirty-three industries, or fifty per cent, the public 
schools paid the salaries of all or a portion of the teachers in the 
industry. Other agencies provided teachers in six per cent of 
the industries In some cases industries were using teachers, a 
portion of whom were on their payroll, and a portion on the pay- 
roll of the public schools or of other agencies. 

Amount of Preparation Required of Teachers of 
English and Citizenship Classes 

Of the forty-three industries reporting upon the question of 
educational requirements for teachers, forty per cent indicated 
no other established qualifications than a general education, 
and in a few cases a knowledge of the industry. In the case of 
the remaining sixty per cent, some special training wag speci- 
fied, though it varied very markedly in different industries. 
In some cases it was obviously inadequate, while in others the 
teachers were undoubtedly well prepared for their work. One 
or two industries reported other qualifications for teachers which 
could not properly be included under educational requirements, 

27 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

though they were excellent. Among these were ability to get 
along with people, a sense of humor, and reserve energy. 

Location for Classes Most Commonly Selected 
by Industries 

Sixty-seven plants reported upon the places where their classes 
were held. Fifty-four of these, or eighty per cent, indicated 
that their classes were held in buildings belonging to the plant; 
thirteen, or twenty per cent, that the classes were held in school 
buildings; and three, or four per cent, that they were held in 
other buildings. In one or two cases, as these figures would 
indicate, a portion of the classes was held in plant buildings, 
and a portion elsewhere. The tendency for classes to be held in 
the vicinity of the plant is quite obvious. 

Time Most Commonly Set for Convening Classes 

As is suggested by the location of a majority of classes, the 
most popular time for convening classes is directly after work, 
or at noon. Of the sixty-seven plants reporting on the time of 
meeting of classes, thirty-nine, or fifty-eight per cent, held their 
classes directly after work or at noon. Fourteen, or twenty 
per cent, held classes during working hours; and twenty-four, 
or thirty-five per cent, held classes in the evening. In the case 
of three plants, classes were held directly before work. 

Relation of Compensation to Class Attendance 

Of the sixty-five firms reporting on the question of compen- 
sation for attendance, forty-six, or seventy-one per cent, held 
classes on employees' time. Thirteen, or twenty per cent, held 
classes on company time. Ten, or fifteen per cent, held classes 
partly on employees and partly on company time. Thus, in 
the case of twenty-three plants, or thirty-five per cent of the 
number reporting, some compensation for attendance was given. 
In a few instances some of the classes were held on a non-com- 
pensation basis, and some on a compensation basis in the same 
plant. 

Most Desirable Size for an English Class 

Fifty-eight plants indicated their preference as to the size 
of English classes. This preference ranged from a minimum of 

28 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

nine to a maximum of thirty-five pupils, though the average 
was fifteen pupils to the class. Of the fifty-eight plants report- 
ing, forty-three, or seventy-four per cent, indicated a preference 
for classes containing fifteen pupils or less. The tendency 
toward the smaller class is quite obvious. 

Most Desirable Length for Single Class Session 

As in the case of the size of classes, there appears to be a 
considerable diversity of opinion as to the most desirable length 
for a single class period. The time indicated ranges from thirty 
to one hundred and fifty minutes per class period. The average 
for the forty-six firms is sixty-seven minutes, or about an hour. 
Of the number of plants reporting, thirty-four, or seventy-four 
per cent, indicated a preference for a period of sixty minutes 
or less. 

Relation of Text Material Used to Working Life 
of the Members of the Class 

Thirty-two plants reported that their class work was in some 
way correlated with shop interests. In thirty-one of these 
plants, the lessons were related to safety; in twenty-six, they 
were related to training in shop practice; and in fourteen to a 
variety of interests, such as health, welfare, thrift, etc. 

Standards of Attainment 

At the present time there seems to be great uncertainty (1) 
as to whether there should be any definite requirement for the 
completion of work in English classes, and (2) what these re- 
quirements should be. Only eighteen firms reported that they 
had established any standards of attainment which could legiti- 
mately be listed as definite requirements for graduation from a 
course. Sixteen of these firms indicated more or less definitely 
that they required general conversational ability and an ele- 
mentary knowledge of reading and writing. One firm estab- 
lished a minimum requirement that members of their classes 
understand orders, while another that they gain sufficient 
knowledge of English to be able to pass examinations for citi- 
zenship. Of the sixteen firms requiring a knowledge of English 
and ability to read and write, several mentioned the use of the 

29 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Roberts' method of instruction and the standards established 
in the Roberts' text material. 

Relation of the Foreman to English 
and Citizenship Classes 

It is important to note that forty-three plants reported that 
their foremen were taking an active part in the development of 
their Americanization work. The activities of foremen seem 
to have followed two lines. In the first place, by personal con- 
tact with the men, they have encouraged attendance at classes; 
and in the second place, they have attended classes from time 
to time, and have been present at special meetings held for the 
benefit of members of classes. In one or two instances foremen 
taught classes. 

Results of Class Work from the Standpoint of Industry 

Perhaps one of the most interesting sidelights on the progress 
of Americanization in industry is the report which forty of the 
plants made on what they considered the most promising results 
of the work which they have been conducting. Twenty-six 
of these plants found that English classes tended to develop a 
greater spirit of co-operation and understanding, and greater 
efficiency in the workroom; thirteen felt that their employees 
developed an increased desire to better themselves through 
education; ten firms reported a tendency toward better citi- 
zenship; three, a greater interest in the taking out of citizenship 
papers; two plants felt that they were reducing the hazards of 
their work; while one plant felt that English work was a pro- 
tection against current propaganda. 

Attitude of Industry toward Future 
Americanization Activities 

Twenty-seven plants reported that they had plans for im- 
proving their work in the future. Twenty-two of these intend 
to increase the scope of the work, either by establishing more 
classes, or by making the subject matter more varied and prac- 
tical. Four plants plan to develop increased co-operation be- 
tween the factory and the classes, and four are planning to give 
better training to their teachers. 

30 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

To sum up: The most representative plant at the present 
time i9 one which has thirty-four pupils attending English classes 
and nineteen attending citizenship classes. This plant also 
gives assistance in making out applications for naturalization. 
Attendance at classes is gained by the personal work of foremen 
or other persons in the plant interested in Americanization work; 
probably some form of poster, pay envelope slip, or bulletin is 
also used. Attendance at classes is maintained by a follow-up 
system, in which some form of personal contact with the absentee 
is obtained. This personal contact is usually through the fore- 
man. The responsibility for seeing that classes are established 
and maintained falls to the service or industrial relations depart- 
ment, and is under the direct supervision of an official who 
devotes a portion or all of his time to Americanization work. 
He may control all phases of the class work, or may share his 
responsibility with a public school official. It is possible that 
a shop committee on Americanization may play some part 
in the organization of classes in the typical shop. Teachers 
will be paid either by the plant or by the public school system, 
and may be drawn from plant employees or from the staff of 
the schools. These teachers will probably have had some 
training in methods of adult education, though there is danger 
that some of them may be required to have had only a general 
education. Their classes will meet in a building belonging to 
the plant and conveniently situated, so that it can be reached 
by men directly at the close of their work. Classes will be 
convened either directly at the close of work or at some time dur- 
ing the working day, so that the men will not have to lose time 
in going to their homes and returning to the classroom. A 
majority of the classes will be attended on employees* time. 
Not more than fifteen pupils will be enrolled in a single class, and 
attendance will be maintained uniformly throughout the course. 
The class period will be about sixty minutes in length, during 
which time intensive work will be carried on. Besides the regu- 
lar text material, special lessons on safety and local shop pro- 
cedure will be introduced, together with some possible material 
on health, welfare, and thrift. No definite standards of attain- 
ment will exist, though there is reason to believe that they will 
be established at some time in the near future. The foreman 
will be a very important aid in all Americanization work, and 

31 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

his appreciation of the significance of this work will increase. 
The typical industry at the present time appreciates the value 
of Americanization work in developing esprit de corps among 
employees and in improving the character of workmanship. It 
looks forward to increasing its activities both as to the number 
of non-English-speaking employees reached and also to the 
character of class instruction. 

Although the summary of the common practice in conducting 
Americanization classes in industry, as indicated by the material 
given in this paper, may serve as a milestone in educational 
progress, we must not place too much emphasis upon the expe- 
rience of the majority. Even now the work is comparatively 
new. Methods which are effective in one community may have 
to be varied in another. On the other hand, a study of the gen- 
eral lines of procedure of the average plant will lead us to follow 
those practical methods which the majority have found suc- 
cessful. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [Applause.] 

Mr. QUIMBY. This paper is not of the type to call for a 
resolution as an aid to the Findings Committee. The meeting 
is now open for discussion of Mr. Paull's enlightening paper. 
I know he will be pleased to answer your questions. 

Mr. M. H. MELLEN, Supervisor of Apprenticeship 
Schools of the General Electric Company, West Lynn, 
Mass. I would like to ask Mr. Paull if he can give the averages 
of those who come on company time, those who come on their 
own time, and those who come on part company time and part 
their own time. 

Mr. PAULL. I will look that up and let you know later. 

Mr. QUIMBY. Some of you have possibly sent answers to 
Mr. Paull which are included in this study, and there may be 
points that you would like to have brought out, from your own 
experience. 

Mr. G. B. FOUT, Supervisor of Schools, Youngstown 
Sheet and Tube Company, Youngstown, Ohio. I have been 
doing Americanization work, teaching English to the employees 
for three years. This last year we employed twenty-three 
teachers. Most of them are high school teachers, or public 
school teachers of Youngstown, and they taught classes in 
the evening of 500 men. We have also sent teachers out to 

32 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

the city hospital. During the last three months we had 142 
men convalescents, who were taught while they were in the 
hospital. We are using three buildings prepared by the com- 
pany, one parochial schoolhouse, and one public schoolhouse, 
in five different parts of the town, using them all on the outside 
of the establishment. Teachers have been selected because of 
their ability, but more so because of their interest in the foreigner. 
We also have our visiting nurses, who go into the homes, and 
come in contact with them in the homes. We have had several 
entertainments. We have had a number of dances. We have 
had about fifteen public dances during this past season where 
the employees are supposed to mingle with the foreign-born in 
American dances. W T e have no foreign dances at all, all Ameri- 
can music and American dances, for we have discovered that 
the foreign-born enjoy the American dances just as much as 
they do their own dances. That is how it is worked out down 
in our place. 

Mr. R. A. JUDD, Director of Americanization, Wailuku, 
Maui, Hawaii. [Applause.] I would like to ask Mr. Paull 
if it would be possible for him to continue this paper and give 
further data? I think hardly anyone realizes the selling value 
of the paper, and we should take it home and let our own firms 
have this report on getting attendance on the employees' time 
and on the employers' time. I think those little things are very 
valuable, if he would continue it and mail it to us later. 

Mr. PAULL. I understand the paper will be printed in 
the proceedings. If there are sufficient returns to warrant 
my going over it again, I will send them out. 

Mr. GEORGE DOWNING, Manager Industrial Relations, 
Walter M. Lowney Company, Boston, Mass. I would like 
to ask Mr. Paull whether he thinks it is advisable to have one 
class a week, or two classes or three classes. Perhaps in the 
questionnaire there was something of that sort, but I did not 
get it. 

Mr. PAULL. I did not ask that question in the question- 
naire. I know some firms answered it without being asked. 
However, I am willing to go over the material and add that to 
the minutes of the meeting. 

Mr. DOWNING. I would like to have some information 
on it. 

33 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Mr. PAULL. Just from what I iaw, perhaps two or three 
meetings a week was the vote. 

Note. — In forty-nine questionnaires, reference was made to the 
number of sessions per week. Of the forty-nine, twenty -nine, or 
sixty per cent of the industries, held two sessions per week; 
sixteen, or thirty-two per cent, held three sessions per week; 
the remaining four industries held sessions for either one, four, 
or five periods per week. It is very obvious that the preference, 
as far as the questionnaires are concerned, is for two and three 
periods per week. 

Mr. A. J. BEATTY, Director of Training, American 
Rolling Mill Company, Middletown, Ohio. We started out 
with one and we had not gone very far before we had three 
sessions at least a week. 

Mr. JUDD. Was that employees' time? 

Mr. BEATTY. No, on company time. [Applause.] We 
started out on company time two sessions a week, and they 
volunteered to go the extra session on their own time. [Applause.] 

Mr. E. C. VERMILLION, Director Americanization, 
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio. An- 
swering the gentleman, I would say that we have five sessions 
a week; every afternoon we start one class at one o'clock, and 
we have classes in session until six o'clock. We have one school 
from seven to nine; our night session we have four nights a 
week; our citizenship class one night a week, on Friday night; 
every other class on Monday, Tuesday, Wednedsay and Thurs- 
day nights; and Friday night is devoted entirely to the citizen- 
ship work. 

Mr. JUDD. Are the same men in all those classes? 

Mr. VERMILLION. The same men are in the same classes 
in the afternoon or evening, and in very few cases are any of 
those men in the citizenship class. In other words, when they 
get ready for the citizenship class, they are in a class by them- 
selves. We do not have any men come to school on company 
time. We believe the fellow himself ought to give his time against 
our time and our expenses in giving him this education. Our 
instruction is all furnished by the Board of Education, and the 
Board of Education pays the teachers. We have no teachers 
that are in the day schools. Our teachers are all selected by 
the Director of Americanization of the Board of Education, 

34 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

especially prepared and equipped, and they^teach perhaps an 
hour in our factory in the afternoon and an hour in the evening 
in the home school, or an afternoon in our school and in the 
evening in the Polish church. The teachers are distributed 
over the city in that manner. All our schools in Akron are 
operated on the same plan. All teachers are furnished by the 
Board of Education, and all the scholars in Akron in all indus- 
tries at the present time, are going on their own time. 

Mr. W. J. SCHULTZ, Director of Employees' Welfare 
Service, of the Packard Motor Company, Detroit, Mich. 
I would like to ask if those classes continue the year round. 
We had classes during the winter season, but I don't know 
whether we will continue them through the summer or not. 
We awarded the class certificates on April 15. We have had a 
regular attendance of one hundred and fifty, but we don't know 
yet whether they will continue through the summer. We will 
continue for those who want to come to the school. Our attend- 
ance has dropped down from one hundred and twenty to fifty, 
but for that fifty we believe classes should be kept open. 

Mr. PAULL. Answering Mr. Mellen's question, seventy-one 
per cent employees' time, twenty per cent company time, and 
fifteen per cent co-operative time. I made a mistake in the 
other percentage and said forty-one instead of thirty-five. 

Mr. VINCENT COLELLI, Pennsylvania Railroad. What 
percentage of your employees attend school? 

Mr. VERMILLION. Twenty-three per cent. 

Mr. COLELLI. Do you think if you held it on company 
time you would have a greater attendance? 

Mr. VERMILLION. I think we would get more chair warm- 
ing. 

Mr. COLELLI. Yes, but don't you think it would pay? 

Mr. VERMILLION. We don't think so. 

Mr. J. M. EATON, Industrial Manager, Lincoln Motor 
Company, Detroit, Mich. I would like to ask about the size 
of the classes, whether there are any restrictions as to the number 
of men, and speaking of the afternoon classes, who made up, 
or who are permitted to leave to attend the English classes in 
the afternoon from the production? 

Mr. VERMILLION. We don't have them come at any time 
when they are at work. We have eight-hour shifts. The men 

35 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

who start to school at one o'clock go to work at three o'clock 
in the afternoon, on the second shift. When they come to school 
at 3:30, they are men who have quit work at three o'clock, 
and the evening classes are at 7:30, and the men who belong are 
those who go to work on the 11 :30 shift. 

Mr. EATON. Then your men do not go to school during 
working hours? 

Mr. VERMILLION. Absolutely not. 

Mr. FOUT. We have our classes at 8:30 to 9:30 in the morn- 
ing for the men who come off night duty, and at 7:30 to 9:00 
in the evening. 

Mr. J. H. LOUGHRAN, Director Americanization, 
Chester Shipbuilding Company, Chester, Pa. How does 
the labor turnover affect the Americanization classes? We 
find in our company sometimes we have an average of 150 
attending school, then it drops down sometimes to thirty or 
forty. How is that problem to be handled? This is the greatest 
problem in our industry. Among the foreign employees atten- 
dance is sometimes very high and sometimes very low. I 
would like to know how you handle that question with regard 
to Americanization. 

Mr. ASHE. I guess the experience of most of us has not 
gone far enough to tell whether there is any direct connection 
between Americanization and labor turnover. We think there 
is in a lot of these things, but when we get down to the final 
analysis, we shall find Americanization has no connection. 
That has been my experience. 

Mr. MERLE R. GRIFFETH, Publicity Agent, General 
Electric Company, Boston. It may be of interest to state a 
few of the benefits resulting from Americanization and educa- 
tional service in the General Electric plants. The company 
employs 80,000 people. Last year, at the Schenectady plant, 
where there are 23,000 employed, there were 13,190 first aid 
cases — what you term accident cases. If you scratch your hand, 
you term it an accident. Fifty-five hundred pertained to the 
eye. It has been found that about sixty or seventy per cent 
were due to the failure of the employees to readily read or 
speak English. Our labor turnover was fifty per cent, which 
we considered very low. I know of many plants around Massa- 
chusetts where it is two hundred per cent. 

3G 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

At our Lynn plant we employ about 14,000 people, and from 
one to one and one-half per cent of them are tubercular. In 
some instances our employees are helped in working out their own 
cure. In other cases they are sent away to various sanatoria 
on company time. 

In Cleveland they have health talks. These are given twice 
a week to two classes, and we have had excellent results there- 
from. They usually last one hour, forty-five minutes of which 
is company time, and fifteen minutes taken out of the employee's 
lunch hour. 

I have in mind a factory with a capacity to produce 5,000 
pieces of a certain article a day. It was necessary to increase 
the production without enlarging the plant, the number of 
employees, or the machinery. Systematic training of the em- 
ployees developed their skill until the production rose to 70,000 
pieces daily. This was an expansion of the physical plant by 
fourteen times its capacity as originally determined. 

Last Friday we heard Mr. Vanderlip speak in Boston before 
the Bankers' Association of New England. He spoke about 
the American International Shipbuilding Corporation, of which 
he is chairman. He said that before the war it took 400,000 
hours to build a certain type of ship, whereas now it could be 
built in 200,000 hours, which was accomplished by means of a 
training department. He thinks the Savings Banks have done 
a great deal towards Americanization because they keep in touch 
with their depositors. To my mind they are one of the most 
petrified of any branch of business. 

We have some films that I would like to show you. Here is 
one we call the "Benefactor," which depicts the life of Edison. 
Then we have "The King of the Rails," which shows the evo- 
lution of transportation on land, and another, "The Queen of 
the Waves," which shows the evolution of water transportation. 
(Mr. Griffeth showed posters of these subjects, which were 
hung in the hall.) 

Only last week our foreman decided to produce a film in the 
Schenectady plant on Americanization, showing how the differ- 
ent nationalities have progressed from the time they left their 
homes in the old country to their present bettered condition 
in their American homes. It shows the contrast between the 
boy of thrift, who spends his leisure time in self-improvement, 

37 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

and the one who spends his time in dissipation. It also shows 
a few men like Steinmetz, Edison, Vanderlip, and John G. 
Shedd, who were poor boys and who have risen to prominence. 
[Applause.] 

Mr. Quimby and Mr. Vermillion made some announcements 
at this time. 

Meeting adjourned at 12:30, to meet again at 2 o'clock. 

Adjourned. 

LUNCHEON 



Mr. QUIMBY. We are pleased to have two officials from the 
State *>f Massachusetts with us this noon. One of them is 
obliged to leave on an early train. Therefore he will speak to 
us now. I have the great honor of introducing our Secretary of 
State, Hon. Albert P. Langtry. [Applause.] 

Mr. LANGTRY said in part: I am delighted to see so many 
ladies here, because I had a good deal rather speak to the ladies 
than to the gentlemen. I am reminded of the little girl who asked 
her mother if there were any men in heaven. "Oh, yes," said 
her mother, "there are men in heaven. " "Then," said the little 
girl, "I never saw any pictures of angels with whiskers." "Oh," 
said the mother, "those men only got into heaven by a very close 
shave." 

I am going to talk to you for two and a half minutes about 
the greatest evil there is in this world today, and that is this 
Bolshevism, and I want to say that I believe an organization 
like yours will do more to overcome Bolshevism than any- 
thing else in the world. Every man who has made a study 
of the question says that the only cure for Bolshevism is edu- 
cation, and that is the cure that you gentlemen can offer. There 
is absolutely no room for Bolshevism in America, because the 
Constitution of America provides that everybody in America 
has an equal chance with every other body to climb to the 
top of the ladder. Of course, the greatest example is the greatest 
American of all — Abraham Lincoln. We all know he was born 
in a log cabin, in which God's sunshine only came in through the 
open door. He had a shiftless drunken father and a beautiful 
mother who, unfortunately, died when he was nine years of 

38 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

age. He overcame more obstacles than any other man who 
ever lived in America, and he showed what a man can do 
when he goes into politics. 

Jay Gould, the richest man at one time in America, started 
as a poor boy, and there are thousands of others w T ho started as 
poor boys, who have become successful men in America; and in 
fact, the history of America has proved that it is the poor boy 
that becomes the successful man in America. 

I think Abraham Lincoln's mother, in three words, told the 
story that we want to preach to every man and boy who has an 
inclination to tear down the foundations of Americanism. 
When she was dying, she called her son to her bedside, and she 
said to him more than I could say to you in an hour when she 
said, "Abe, be somebody!" If we could induce every employee, 
when he comes to us to be somebody, there would be no Bolshe- 
vism in America. I thank you. [Applause.] 

Mr. QUIMBY. The next speaker will be Mr. Bernard J. 
Rothwell, President of the Bay State Milling Company, Boston. 
Mr. Rothwell was a pioneer in work with the immigrant, and 
he now holds the position in this state of Chairman of the 
Bureau of Immigration. [Applause.] 

Mr. ROTHWELL. Mr. Chairmen, Ladies and Gentlemen: 
In all sincerity, I want to say that this is one of the most im- 
portant conferences which could be gotten together at this 
time, for you are dealing w r ith a subject of tremendous mag- 
nitude, not only important in industry, but in common welfare 
and citizenship. 

I have been much interested in the question of immigration 
for some years. Two years ago, when the state created the 
Bureau of Immigration, with an unpaid Board, the Governor 
saw fit to make me chairman of that Board. So I have had some 
experience, at least w T ithin the last two years, and a great deal 
that has led me down many blind alleys, from which I had to 
turn back. 

Now t , in our search to do something along the line of Ameri- 
canization work with the immigrant, we arrived, where you 
long since arrived, in knowledge that until we removed the 
language barrier, there was very little hope of any progress, and 
that once you had knocked down that barrier, then, the ways 
of accomplishing the work were seen very readily. But this 

39 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

is fundamental — we must have a common medium of speech 
by which we can approach each other. 

I have heard it said many times, and I always say it with 
some hesitancy, that our experience shows the defects of the 
attempted night school education of the immigrant, in that the 
public schools, namely the night schools, have accomplished 
practically nothing. There are no adequate results from the 
night schools, and all of you who are trained in this particular 
work realize why the night schools have always been and must 
continue to be a relative failure. 

Our Bureau has arrived at the conclusion that if there is one 
place where Americanization ever can be accomplished on a 
scale commensurate with its magnitude, that is in Industry 
itself, during day hours and in plant classes. Nowhere else 
can you reach the immigrant in sufficient numbers and under 
as favorable conditions. So it is going to be your work to bring 
about such conditions within the industry with which you are 
connected as will enable you to do that in your own plants. 

We all realize the difficult nature of the work, and the migra- 
tory character of the immigrant, and we all realize the tremen- 
dous drain of labor overturn in industry. Our statistics show 
that where plant classes have been established, labor overturn 
has been largely cut down. 

A few months ago the Bureau sent a questionnaire over 
the country, to find out where plant classes had been estab- 
lished. It found many classes being maintained at the expense 
of the industry, in some places by the employees, and in some 
places the expense divided up. We asked whether it paid in 
dollars and cents, etc. Now, ladies and gentlemen, note the 
reply to every one of these following questions: "Does it pay 
in dollars and cents?" A. "Yes." "Does it reduce industrial 
accidents?" A. "Yes." "Does it lower the labor turnover?" 
A. "Yes." "Does it promote harmony within the plant?" 
A. "Yes." With hardly an exception, this was the case. So 
that the reasons for plant classes are quite clear. 

It has been a difficult matter for the Bureau to make head- 
way in securing plant classes, although a great deal has been 
done in Massachusetts within the past year. We endeavor to 
meet industrial leaders and to show the great economic value 
of the plant classes, but it is astonishing how many are still 

40 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

ignorant of the conditions existing in their own plants, and how 
large a dollar looks to them put in the direction of improving 
these conditions. 

The immigrant is by nature human in his relations, man to 
man, and a large cause of the enormous labor turnover may be 
charged to unhappiness in his work. When you have half a 
dozen men of different nationalities working side by side, and, 
like beasts of burden, unable to exchange a single word, a single 
thought, there is no incentive to work, no pleasure in it; they 
want to get out and seek something a little bit better, a little 
more human, elsewhere. 

You have seen the figures that were put out by the United 
States Government last fall, which showed the extraordinary 
fact that three men out of four were delivering only about 
thirty-five per cent of the work of the fourth man, and that 
the efficiency of labor, as a whole, was only about forty per cent 
of a fair day's work. 

We are facing the greatest labor shortage that this country 
has ever known, and the only way to overcome that great 
shortage will be by greater efficiency on the part of those work* 
ing, and I believe the only way to overcome the feeling which 
exists among the foreigners and thus stimulate their effort, is 
by doing something to remove causes of their discontent. 

This cannot be done until the language barrier is overcome 
and those people can tell us in our own language just what their 
ideals are, industrially and socially, and we can tell them directly 
the ideals of our state and nation. 

The Commonwealth is very glad indeed to welcome here this 
large number of representatives from different parts of the 
country, because it gives assurance that the work of American- 
ization is spreading and that the country is waking up to the 
serious import of the foreign-born situation from the standpoints 
of political, social, and industrial safety. 



JUNE 23, 1919, AFTERNOON SESSION 

Meeting was called to order at 3:30 P. M. Mr. Malcolm 
Stone, of the Ludlow Manufacturing Associates, of Ludlow, 
Mass., who was down to preside at this session, was unable to 
be present, so Mr. Quimby stated that Mr. J. M. Eaton, of the 

41 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Lincoln Motor Company, of Detroit, Mich., would preside at 
the afternoon session. 

Mr. EATON. We are just one hour and fifty minutes late 
in getting this session started, and it will be necessary for every 
one to stick right down to business, talk to the subject, and 
make it just as snappy as we know how to do it. Therefore, 
I may have to cut the discussion down, and I warn you before 
we start that I am a hard taskmaster, and I will use the gavel 
as frequently as I think I ought to in order to get us out of here 
in time for the banquet this evening. 

The first number on the program is a paper by Mr. Harold T. 
Clark, President of the Americanization Committee, Cleveland, 
Ohio, and the subject is "Economic Basis for Americanization 
in Industry, (a) Employee; (b) Employer; (c) Community." 
As already has been stated, Mr. Clark is not here, and his paper 
will be read by Mr. Carl Giesse, of the National Carbon Company, 
Cleveland, Ohio. 

Mr. GIESSE. Ladies and Gentlemen: I don't know why 
this paper was turned over to me. Perhaps because I am foreign- 
born and I have been in the work for some time, and I can see 
the work from the point of view of the alien — see it from the 
alien's point of view. I will attempt to confine myself entirely 
to Mr. Clark's paper, as I feel that Mr. Clark has covered the 
field pretty well. 

Mr. M. B. IRISH, Secretary Fall River Immigrant Com- 
mittee, Fall River, Mass. Mr. Chairman, as long as Mr. 
Clark is not here, I would like to make the motion that Mr. 
Clark's paper be turned over and printed in the proceedings, 
and the reading of it be dispensed with. 

Motion seconded, and put to vote, the result of which left 
the Chair in doubt. 

Mr SCHULTZ, of the Packard Motor Company. I 
think the paper should be read, in order that we may discuss it. 

Motion put again and was lost. Paper was read by Mr. Giesse. 

Economic Basis for Americanization in Industry 

There can be little doubt that from this war our country will 
derive lasting benefits that will shape our national life in the 
future in a way that could not have been foreseen a few years 
ago. Not only have there been astonishing changes in our 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

position in world politics, but equally surprising and important 
changes have taken place in the internal life of our country. 
The war has done for us the following: 

1. It has caused us to re-examine the fundamental principles 
upon which our government rests and to prize our American 
citizenship as never before. There has come to us the full 
meaning of the statement in the Declaration of Independence: 
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created 
equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain 
inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the 
pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments 
are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the 
consent of the governed." 

2. It has produced evidence of the most striking character 
as to the need of taking up at once as one of the most pressing 
of our national problems, the breaking down of the barriers that 
have heretofore existed between many so-called "National 
Groups," so that the danger that the United States may become 
a conglomerate of peoples from every land rather than a unified 
nation may forever be removed. 

3. It has produced evidence, equally convincing, that however 
stupendous the problem of Americanization may appear, it can 
be solved. 

Although it has been known that great changes must have 
been wrought in the life of the nation by the stream of immi- 
gration, which, during the period of twenty-five years or more 
prior to 1914, had mounted, until, in spite of the outbreak of 
the war, at the end of the first seven months the number of 
immigrants in 1914 reached the total of 1,218,480, yet it was 
not until the draft gave an opportunity to secure a cross sec- 
tion of our population that we came to realize what had really 
happened. 

To quote from the admirable address delivered by Hon. 
Franklin K. Lane, Secretary of the Interior, on April 3, 1918, 
on "Americanization as a War Measure": 

Now there are several things which we have come upon recently 
which seem to those of us who have not been wise, to be discov- 
eries. The first is that we have a great body of our own people, 
five and a half millions, who cannot read or write the language 
of this country. That language is English. And these are not 

43 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

all of foreign birth. A million and a half are native-born. The 
second is that we are drafting into our army men who cannot 
understand the orders that are given them to read. The third 
is that our man power is deficient because our education is defi- 
cient. The fourth is that we ourselves have failed to see America 
through the eyes of those who come to us. We have failed to 
realize why it was that they came here and what they sought. 
We have failed to understand their definition of liberty. 

Not only has the war brought to light many new facts, or 
re-emphasized the importance of the facts previously known, 
as to the complex character of the population of our country, 
but it has raised the Americanization movement from being 
one that even two years ago was regarded by many as merely 
one of social uplift, which, however worthy its object, could be 
put aside until the indefinite future, until it is now recognized 
that the welding together of the many peoples within our borders 
into one strong nation is of paramount importance in working 
out the re-adjustments that are to follow the war. 

"We are realizing that the way in which we treat our foreign- 
born in America affects not only our own national life, but the 
lot of millions of persons in foreign lands who are bound to us 
by ties of kinship, and who more and more are looking to our 
country for guidance. Mr. George Creel, Chairman of the 
Committee on Public Information, has said: 

One of the forces which betrayed Russia was the thousands 
of Russians who went back from the ghetto to tell them that 
Americanism was a lie; that there was no such thing as democ- 
racy, no such thing as equality, no such thing as hope. 

There can be no doubt that what is being done in American 
cities having a large foreign-born population to spread a knowl- 
edge of the fundamental principles upon which our national life 
rests will have a tremendous influence upon the future history 
of every country in the world. 

It has been very noticeable that the Americanization appeals 
that have impressed employers of late have been those that 
have as their basis patriotism, rather than simply those of eco- 
nomic advantage, such as in the reduction of labor-turnover, 
increasing of individual efficiency, reduction of accidents, aboli- 
tion of interpreters, and elimination of misunderstandings. 

The surprising conditions which have been found to exist in 

44 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

this country have resulted from a nation-wide neglect of the 
problem of the immigrant, a neglect for which all of us Ameri- 
cans must share the blame, but chiefly those of us who happened 
to be native-born and therefore in a position to make the laws 
and determine the policies of the country. When we realize 
that for more than twenty-five years no means were provided 
to get the hundreds of thousands of immigrants arriving at our 
shore each year to the places where they were needed, we cannot 
wonder that thousands who would willingly have gone to other 
parts of the country to continue their lives as farmers, became 
herded into cities along the Atlantic Coast. When we realize 
that during this period no concerted effort was made to induce 
the immigrants, most of whom during the latter part of this 
period came from southern and southeastern Europe, to learn 
English, or to regard the United States as their home, we should 
not be surprised that many of the foreign-born have preferred 
to live in groups, having few contacts with other groups, and 
sometimes under conditions and according to standards that are 
quite un-American. And when we realize that American citi- 
zenship has been so little prized that in seven states of the Union, 
and until recently in nine, it was possible for immigrants who 
had merely taken out their first papers, and were, therefore, still 
subjects of other nations, to vote; and when we further study 
the way in which naturalization matters have been handled in 
this country, we can well understand how millions of the foreign- 
born have not become impressed with the importance of becom- 
ing American citizens. 

(Mr. Giesse said that he could state from his own experience 
that he did not want to become an American citizen for a good 
many years after he came here.) 

It is indeed fortunate for our country that the war has called 
attention to existing conditions and made it possible to plan 
for the improving of these conditions so as to avoid in the future 
the mistakes that have been made in the past. It is also fortu- 
nate for the United States that the foreign-born have proven 
themselves so splendidly loyal, not alone because of the military 
effect in the present war, but also because it means that they 
can be counted upon to join with the native-born in making our 
common country a better land for all of us. The opportunities 
that the war has given to the foreign-born and which they have 

45 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

seized so wonderfully, to show what a tremendous asset they are 
to this country, have already broken down many of the strongest 
barriers that the neglect and indifference of years had erected 
between old and new Americans. There has been a mutual 
recognition that the fundamental ideals for which all stand 
are the same, that they are the principles upon which our govern- 
ment and our liberties rest, and that they afford a basis for a 
common understanding which can be used to sweep away all 
remaining barriers which have largely owed their existence to 
lack of a common tongue and to need of better^education, and 
will make it possible to weave into our common 'national life 
the contributions that every one of the many peoples in our 
country is able to make. 

In order to correct the mistakes of the past and to avoid like 
ones in the future, it is necessary that immigrants should be 
dealt with according to some definite plan in which the nation, 
the state, and each community can co-operate. This plan should 
be comprehensive enough to give to every non-English speaking 
or non-naturalized resident an opportunity to learn to read, 
write, and speak English, to learn about the history and ideals 
of the United States, and ultimately to become a citizen qualified 
to fulfill his duties as such. 

It is to be hoped that national and state plans for American- 
ization can be speedily developed, for many of the things that 
need to be done can be handled better thus than by any par- 
ticular community. 

There are some persons advanced in years who can never 
learn English, but the number is comparatively small. Among 
the graduates of classes in Cleveland last year were represen- 
tatives of three generations from the same families. In most 
cases the time required is surprisingly short, largely because the 
foreign-born are generally good linguists. When men are 
taught English by trained teachers using the so-called direct, or 
dramatic method, as has been done in the schools of Cleveland 
during the past year, and at the army camps, and where the 
lessons deal with subjects immediately connected with their 
daily experiences, it has been found that within three months a 
good working knowledge can be acquired through attendance 
at classes three or four hours a week. 

When one of the great barriers to a common understanding 

46 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

can, in the case of most foreign-born persons, be removed within 
a few months, the problem for the country as a whole should 
not be regarded as too overwhelming for solution. 

Whatever may be the future legislative program in regard to 
the compulsory education of those above the present limit of 
school age — the compulsion be it noted, being not merely upon 
the foreign-born to attend school, but upon the general body 
politic to furnish an adequate number of well-run schools to be 
attended — it is certain that much consideration must be given 
to the economic and social relationship of those whom such a 
program would deal with. 

The problem cannot be entirely left to the night schools, for 
there are many men and women who either cannot or ought not 
to go to school in the evening. The testimony from the army 
camps is that the rate of progress of the foreign-born in their 
studies depends very largely upon whether the classes are held 
at an hour of the day when the men are fresh, or whether they 
have already been exhausted by work. 

There can be no doubt that the attitude of employers toward 
the Americanization problem is going to be one of the most 
important factors in solving it. If employers make their foreign- 
born employees realize that they are interested in having the 
employees learn English, get into contact with American life, 
regard this country as the place where they want to make their 
home, and become citizens, a tremendous change will come into 
our national life. There is a constantly growing mass of evi- 
dence of the most convincing character, to which Cleveland 
employers have made a valuable contribution, that, wholly aside 
from the larger aspects of the question, the establishing of a 
better understanding with the foreign-born reduces accidents, 
increases output, reduces labor turnover, and removes many 
unnecessary differences, thus directly benefiting both employer 
and employee. [Applause.] 



Mr. EATON. Mr. Clark's paper is open for discussion. 
Please remember that we are working on a three-minute rule. 
Speak plainly and to the point. 

Mr. WALTER P. MILLER, Chamber of Commerce, 
Philadelphia, Pa. I would like to ask the reader of Mr, Clark's 

:•■": " - 47 - ... . -..' -• 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

paper whether, from his point of view, he believes the education 
of the non-English speaking should be compulsory? 

Mr. GIESSE. I will answer that question from my experience 
at my own plant. We have recently adopted a general policy 
which is carried out by our foremen as a basis of employment 
to get the foreign-born to learn the English language. A new 
employee is required to attend class in our own plant if he doesn't 
speak English with a fair degree of understanding. [Applause.] 

Mr. VINCENT COLELLI, of the Pennsylvania Railroad. 
Are the classes held on company time? 

Mr. GIESSE. In the past year we had our classes at the 
closing hour of the working day, half of the class hour was on 
company's time, and half on employees' time. In the future, 
we are planning to have our classes the first thing in the morning, 
and have them over when we start work, on the same basis. 
That has worked out very well. 

Mr. COLELLI. I am asking that question often. I believe 
that industry ought to make an appropriation for the foreign- 
born. It is going to pay in dollars and cents to that industry. 
You should not be too stingy and leave it to the public schools, 
or to this or to that agency. You must not believe that Ameri- 
canization will take care of itself, and that you have done your 
duty by lending your hand or co-operating. You have got to 
make an appropriation, and these classes should be partly on 
the time of the company and partly on the time of the employee, 
fifty-fifty. [Applause.] 

Mr. EATON. The next number on the program is a paper 
by Mr. Winthrop G. Hall, Assistant General Manager of the 
Spencer Wire Company, of Worcester, Mass., on "Duties and 
Responsibilities of Plant Directors of Americanization." 

Mr. HALL. My invitation to prepare this paper came late 
last week, and I had no time to prepare it in the few hours that 
were left. So Mr. Gren O. Pierrel, Director of Industrial Depart- 
ment, Young Men's Christian Association, of Worcester, who 
has also been doing work at Camp Devens, has really prepared 
the paper, and I have added one or two paragraphs coming down 
on the train this morning. [Applause.] 

One of the first of the many duties and responsibilities of a 
Plant Director of Americanization, it would seem, would be to 
inform himself of the need of the work, of what has been and 

48 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

is being done by others along these lines, and to become familiar 
with the successes and failures of others in similar positions. He 
should learn what texts to use and how to prepare the local 
lesson sheets. Every shop has its own technical vocabulary, 
names of machines, implements, tools, processes, departments, 
etc. It is necessary for the workmen to be familiar with these 
terms in order to understand their foremen's orders. The 
Plant Director should be able to work these words into simple 
sentences after the Peter Roberts model better than anyone else. 

He should realize, for instance, what it means when the 
Federal Commission on Immigration reports that immigrants 
pack eighty-five per cent of our meat, mine seventy per cent of 
our soft coal, do seventy-eight per cent of the work in our woolen 
mills, and ninety per cent of that in our cotton mills. They 
make ninety-five per cent of our clothing, refine ninety-five per 
cent of our sugar, make fifty per cent of our shoes, eighty per cent 
of our furniture, fifty per cent of our collars, cuffs, and shirts, 
eighty per cent of our leather products, and fifty per cent of our 
gloves. The immigrant, therefore, is a very important factor 
in our industrial development. In New England illiteracy exists 
among foreign groups to the following challenging extent: 
Portuguese, sixty per cent; Southern Italians, fifty-four per 
cent; Syrians, fifty per cent; Ruthenians, forty-nine per cent; 
Polish, thirty-two per cent; Lithuanians, thirty-two per cent; 
Hebrews, twenty-three per cent. 

In Massachusetts alone there are over 300,000 who speak 
little or no English. The records for the past two or three years 
indicate that in a year the evening schools of the state reach 
about 25,000 ; that the North American Civic and similar leagues 
reach about 1,000, and that the Y. M. C. A. and other welfare 
agencies reach about 10,000, This leaves over 250,000 in the 
state that have not had an opportunity to learn to read and 
write the English language, so that the state and federal govern- 
ments have asked Industry to help, temporarily at least, in 
solving this vast problem of illiteracy. 

The next duty of the Director should be to sell the proposition 
to the management if that has not been thoroughly done pre- 
viously. Scarcely a day goes by in most industrial offices without 
the receipt of personal and written appeals to install some new 
ftnti»Bolihcviki force in the plant-— slips for the pay envelopes, 

49 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

pictures for the bulletin boards, speakers for mass meetings, 
motion picture outfits and film service, garden directors, baseball 
leagues, etc. Many of these schemes have merit, but if the man- 
agers paid for all such schemes presented to them, there would 
be occasionally insufficient money left to meet the weekly pay- 
roll. It is the duty of the Plant Director to protect and guide 
the company in these matters. 

Another reason for asking Industry to help solve the vast 
problem of illiteracy referred to is that the men who need this 
training are already grouped at the industries. Industrial fore- 
men and others can create special incentives to encourage these 
people to learn the language and traditions of our country as 
few other people are able to do. This seems to be Industry's 
responsiblity, and not that of any other agency outside, such as 
the Bureau of Immigration, State Board of Education, or the 
various welfare agencies. If Industry is alert, however, it will 
avail itself of the experience and service of the different outside 
groups who understand better many of the methods of securing 
results with these people. 

The success of an Americanization program in industry 
depends, of course, upon the hearty co-operation of the manage- 
ment. A wise manager, in order to secure success in such a 
venture, will have some man appointed as a supervisor of Ameri- 
canization in the plant, who is definitely responsible for the 
promotion of the program, and who is released from other duties 
so that he will have sufficient time to carry it out. It is unneces- 
sary to say that this supervisor must be a person who appreciates 
the values of education, who recognizes the need for American- 
ization work in the plant, and who has a sympathy with these 
foreign-born men and their problems and a real appreciation of 
their backgrounds. Having such a man selected and appointed, 
the expanding of the program naturally begins with the foremen. 

Before any attempt is made to organize a program, the fore- 
men should be called together, not once, but many times, and 
have presented to them the needs of their foreign-born men 
and how they must be met, and the extremely important part 
which the foremen have in making this program successful. 

Then we are dependent upon the foreman for the next two 
or three moves: The first one which he will make, naturally, 
if he is studying the task, will be to approach the leaders of the 

50 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

various racial groups in the shop and explain to them clearly 
just what is proposed in the plant and the reasons for its being 
done, thereby enlisting their intelligent interest and co-opera- 
tion. Then the foremen, together with these racial group leaders, 
will take the census of the plant, discovering all men and women 
who speak little or no English, who cannot read or write, and also 
discover men who are not American citizens. Having the census 
taken, it is very helpful to have meetings of the various racial 
groups and have a speaker of their own group present the oppor- 
tunities which the management is offering to them and the 
reasons why they should avail themselves of this chance to better 
understand American ideals and traditions. The Plant Director 
will have to steer these steps carefully. 

Grading the men is a very important process and comes next 
in the program. Too much importance cannot be attached to 
this grading, for there is a very wide variance in the different 
minds and aptitude of these foreign-born people who are seem- 
ingly on the same basis, so far as knowledge of the English lan- 
guage is concerned. For instance, the men and women who are 
illiterate in their own language, never having gone to school or 
learned to read or write in their native land, present one problem. 
An entirely different one is presented by the men and women 
who have received considerable schooling in their native land 
but have not yet learned to speak and read and write the 
English language. 

For practical purposes, four grades are necessary: 

Grade 1. Those who are illiterate in their own language and 
who speak little and read or write little or no English. 

Grade 2. Literate in their own language, speak and read a 
little English. 

Grade 3. Those who speak and read English fairly well and 
write a little. 

Grade 4. Those who speak, read and write fairly well, but need 
a better understanding of English and are ready for the citizen- 
ship course. 

The teacher may be drawn from at least three sources: first, 
from within the plant itself; second, from the public schools; 
third, from among social workers. 

In selecting the teacher, it is well for us to keep in mind the 
purpose of the English classes in the factory, which is, as we 

51 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

understand it, not to give these people an education in any 
real sense, but simply to provide them with an avocational and 
vocational vocabulary which they can use with considerable 
freedom. Ability to understand the instructions from the fore- 
men or their fellows; ability to read the various instruction 
sheets, posters, and safety signs around the shop, and the ability 
to sign their own names and to write simple dictation. 

When they learn the fundamentals of our language and get 
a start toward an American education, they can pursue it as far 
as they desire in other schools, such as evening and correspond- 
ence. The Plant Director should advise certain employees to 
do this, but should not necessarily provide these advanced 
opportunities within the plant, at least except in such places as 
other schools are not readily available. 

The other thing we should like to bring to the foreigner in 
addition to his technical knowledge is an appreciation of the 
best things in our American life. This will be brought to him 
through song, entertainment, current history talks, games, social 
occasions, etc., so that the teachers should be selected with all of 
these things in mind. With such a task to perform, it is at least 
equally as important that the teacher should have a thorough 
sympathy with the foreign-born and an appreciation of their 
needs and background, as it is that he or she should be trained 
in the art of teaching. 

There are few people outside of the factory who know so well 
the problems of the foreign-born in industry or the needs that 
should be ministered to as do certain foremen and others who are 
actually working with them in the plant. For this reason and 
others, the teachers for all of the English classes with which I 
am familiar in Worcester have been selected from the em- 
ployees of the plants. Among the employees of almost every 
plant there are men who either are teachers or have been trained 
to be teachers so that they meet the technical requirements. 
These men have been introduced into the methods of direct 
teaching of English to the foreign-born; have been given some 
appreciation of the background of the various racial groups; 
have been given an actual demonstration of the direct method 
of teaching English and then carefully supervised after having 
been given a class. 

Another reason for using the employee of the factory as a 

52 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

teacher is one that looms rather large in the minds of certain 
employers, namely, the increased interest in the welfare of the 
plant on the part of both workers and foremen which is created 
by a corps of the company's own men who are making a special 
study of the foreigner, and giving time and energy to help him 
to be more nearly American. It creates a new and valuable center 
of plant loyalty and spirit that employers are quick to see as 
great possibilities for the welfare of the plant. This is especially 
true in the American Steel and Wire Company, where we have 
had some twenty different teachers, all of them college or well- 
trained men, keenly alert to the needs of these foreign-born. 
They are already making themselves felt in the life of this great 
factory. 

It is a very important duty of the Plant Director to provide 
adequate and satisfactory classroom equipment. On the one 
hand the place should be conveniently located and equipped for 
the men, and on the other hand these requirements should not be 
such as to lessen the interest of the management in the propo- 
sition at the start, either because of demands for space which 
are hard to satisfy, or on account of the size of the appropriation 
demanded to fit it up. The same managers will grant consid- 
erable money to continue undertakings which have demonstrated 
their usefulness who begrudge even small sums for experiments, 
the value of which seems to them very doubtful. 

The Director at the Spencer Wire Company in Worcester 
started out to procure armchairs of the luncheon type for the 
first classes organized in his plant, but found the cost unwar- 
ranted. Instead, sets of wooden tables with folding legs were 
made in the plant carpenter shop. Two or three dozen folding- 
chairs which had been used for special occasions were pressed 
into service as far as they went, and inexpensive wooden benches 
were made for the others. Both proved to be so satisfactory 
that the general superintendent transferred his foremen's meet- 
ings from his own office, where he never had chairs enough and 
few facilities for supporting note-books, to one of the American- 
ization classrooms. This room is in a corner of a storeroom. 
The piles of wire nearby provided a congenial environment for 
the men, and they felt quite as much at home here as they would 
have in the office. We made very satisfactory blackboards by 
painting sheets of beaver board with asphaltum paint. 

53 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

All of this equipment is portable and can be stored in a 
minimum space if the classroom is required for other purposes 
at any time. 

We do not feel that it is the best way to have a class on factory 
time, and have the employees paid while learning. Many advo- 
cates of the factory class say that it is not possible to secure a 
good attendance without it. Attendance records of classes at 
the Spencer Wire Company, American Steel & Wire Company, 
Worcester Pressed Steel Company, Crompton & Knowles Loom 
Works, and others indicate that an average attendance has been 
secured from sixty-five to ninety per cent. The most satisfactory 
time for class meeting has been at the noon hour, beginning at 
12:15 and continuing until 12:55. In one or two plants in 
Worcester, the classes begin at 12:15 and continue until 1:15, 
the company paying the men for their time from 1 o'clock 
until 1:15. 

Keeping up the attendance depends upon the following : First, 
the time of meeting; second, the teacher; third, number of 
meetings per week; fourth, and very important, the continued 
co-operation of the foreman. Does he know just when his men 
attend and does he look them up each week to learn if they are 
continuing in the class and are satisfied with it? For all of these 
factors the Plant Director is responsible in a measure. 

Daily attendance records reveal that in the departments 
where foremen are enthusiastically backing the Americanization 
program an attendance of eighty-five to ninety-five per cent is 
secured, while in other departments where the foremen are 
indifferent, the attendance is from fifty to seventy per cent, 
revealing the direct influence of the foremen upon the attend- 
ance. It is also greatly revealed in the amount which the pupil 
learns. 

Another very important factor in keeping up attendance is 
the racial leader in the plant. Keep close to him and encourage 
him to stimulate attendance. This the Plant Director must 
certainly do. 

Stimulate attendance in the class. In addition to the lesson 
material which is taught, it is a great thing to teach the men 
to sing, both their own national anthems and our American 
national songs. Take a class hour occasionally and teach the 
men our American games, for many of these foreign-born men 

54 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

have never in their lives engaged in any form of play. Current 
history talks will draw the men almost without fail. Have a 
map to point out important happenings concerning their country 
and their relationship to the new world reorganization. Discuss 
with them the history of their own race. Occasionally it is well 
to have a meeting of any one racial group and a special program 
will be given in the factory. If a series of factory meetings is 
being held in the plant in which there is being presented, among 
other subjects, Government, Safety, Health, Thrift, Gardening 
and Home Life, the teacher may urge the foreign-born men to 
attend these meetings and then at the first class meeting following 
these lectures discuss with them salient points presented by the 
speakers. 

No one thing helps more than to know the pupils personally 
by their first names and to know something of their family life, 
where they live, etc. 

Social occasions, where the wives and families of these foreign- 
born men meet together for a social evening greatly stimulate 
the interest in the class and help the families to appreciate what 
the men and women are doing in these Americanization classes. 
Many teachers have taken Sunday afternoons off almost regu- 
larly, or some evening during the week, to take the men to public 
buildings, public library, city hall, court house, and historic 
spots. A great challenge to every man is to have held out 
continually before him the opportunity to become a full-fledged 
American citizen. 

The way to keep the foreign-born from getting a wrong idea 
of America, of her industries and her institutions, is by giving 
them the right idea. Part of this is Industry's responsibility. 
As long as there is a foreign-born man or woman in a plant 
who does not speak, read, or write the English language, it is the 
duty of the Plant Director to see to it that adequate opportuni- 
ties are presented for this individual and that he avails himself 
of them. 

The responsibility of the Plant Director does not always end 
at the plant, but often calls for the expending of time and money 
for Americanization service of various kinds in the community. 

(Mr. Hall stated that the foremen in his plant had a method 
of "walloping" the men into line which was carried out 
successfully.) 

55 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Americanization, therefore, in Industry as well as elsewhere, 
includes vastly more than simply giving employees a knowledge 
of the English language. It includes the giving to every foreign- 
born employee a clear understanding and appreciation of the 
best of our American life, and that we Americans may realize 
and appreciate the best of the Old World ideals and traditions. 
[Applause.] 

Mr. DeWITT, of the Ford Motor Company, Detroit, 
Mich. How soon are the proceedings to be in print? 

Mr. EATON. I can't tell you. 

Mr. DeWITT. I would suggest that this paper be printed 
as soon as possible, and each man take it home, and collect his 
men together and read it through to them. In the past five 
years, it is the best paper I have heard. [Applause.] 

Mr. VERMILLION. As Plant Director myself, I want to 
commend highly that paper of Mr. Hall's. I think that is the 
real spirit of a plant director. 

Mr. HALL. I would like to repeat again that this paper was 
prepared by Mr. Gren O. Pierrel, arid it is not really my paper. 
[Applause.] 

Mr. IRISH, of Fall River, Mass. I have been in charge of 
work representing pretty nearly half the industries in the city of 
Fall River, and I would say that that paper is from a man having 
actual experience of work done. This is not an idealist's paper 
any more than it is a political paper. That is from a man who 
has been doing the work and knows from experience. 

Mr. BEATTY. I should like to inquire how many people 
there are in this group who are directors of Americanization in 
their plants, without any other duties aside from that. 

Mr. EATON. I think that might be interesting. Those whose 
duties are as directors of Americanization in their plants and 
spend all their time on that work, will please raise their hands. 

(About half a dozen spend all their time on that work.) 

Mr. EATON. As we are continuing with this discussion, 
I want to call attention to the fact that the Steering Committee 
has prepared a tentative resolution, and our discussion should 
be with that resolution in mind, which I will read, and when 
we are through with the discussion we will put this to a vote, 
it being understood that on the occasion of the last meeting it 
may be revised or amended as you see fit. 

66 






AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

(Resolution read by Chairman.) 

Resolved, That every industry should have an Americanization 
Department with a competent man in charge as plant director. 

Mr. G. L. SULLIVAN, Employment Manager, Worth- 
ington Pump and Machine Corporation, Cambridge, 
Mass. I would like to ask a question. Mr. Hall mentioned 
a walloping process to be done by the Americanization Director, 
and later on spoke about the co-operation we should have from 
the foreman. I would like to ask Mr. Hall what the relation is 
between the Americanization teacher and the foreman of his 
plant, and what walloping process he would advise being put 
in force, as I feel the foreman is a very vital factor in making 
this a success? I think many of our evils are due to the fore- 
men's methods, and where the foremen take a very arbitrary 
stand, it w ill be very hard to change. I would like to know what 
Mr. Hall would say in regard to the relationship between the 
Americanization teacher and the foremen. 

Mr. HALL. Perhaps my word was an unfortunate one. But 
one of our general superintendents gets the men together when 
he wants anything done, and he says, "By Gee Whittaker, we've 
got to do so and so," and he leads them by that "By Gee Whit- 
taker," and by his enthusiasm. Then the Americanization man 
comes around and perhaps he does not talk quite so firmly to 
the men. They are busy and they do not perhaps pay much 
attention to him. I could tell you one or two stories about 
getting at the men, but there is not time. But the foremen 
have found out that this Americanization work doesn't really 
add to their duties, it makes the jobs easier — that is, the foremen 
get more work out of the men. 

Mr. DeWITT. I would like to tell a little experience about 
a millwrighting class. Our millwright called a few days ago 
and he said he could handle three hundred men easier now than 
he could twenty-five men five years ago. 

Mr. J. J. HOORNSTRA, Director of Education, White 
Motor Company, Cleveland, Ohio. When the question was 
asked a few moments ago, in regard to the number of men who 
spend all their time in Americanization work, at the time I 
didn't know whether to raise my hand or not. I notice that you 
print on the program my office as "Director of Americanization." 

57 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

It may not be interesting to you, but it seems we should change 
the wording of the title, as proposed by the Program Committee. 
They speak of "Director of Americanization." It seems to me 
that in every industrial plant the man should have the position 
of "Director of Education. " As a Director of Education, natu- 
rally part of his work would be Americanization. I am of the 
opinion that we need general education in our plants. In the 
White Motor we are pretty well favored. Approximately 
twenty per cent of all the workers are aliens. I can assure you 
out of the eighty per cent on the other side, born Americans, or 
citizens by naturalization, there are a great number that need 
education. We have many of our superintendents, and fore- 
men, and sub-foremen that need education, and they are going 
to get it, and are getting it in our plant. I think in our 
laboratory work we should map out reading courses for our 
foremen and sub-foremen. We are getting people in the different 
departments interested in reading by getting them into depart- 
mental magazine reading clubs. Now then, I think I have 
explained my idea sufficiently. Americanization, of course, is 
what we got together here for, but it seems to me a good sug- 
gestion to make is that the title of the man who is going to be 
responsible for all this should be "Director of Education," 
Americanization being a part and a very vital part of this work. 
[Applause.] 

Miss I. M. WILSON, Service Superintendent, Bay State 
Cotton Corporation, Newburyport, Mass. I should like to 
object to that statement on something the same line that the 
last speaker objected to a previous statement. I make this 
distinction: I believe all social service work is Americanization, 
and the person in charge of Americanization work should be the 
social service manager of the company. [Applause.] 

Mr. SCHULTZ, of the Packard Motor Company. There 
are various branches of social work, and I think education is 
only a part of Americanization. [Applause.] I don't agree with 
that gentleman at all in his statements. We go so far beyond 
education. I wish an inventory of this organization could be 
taken in the same manner as that followed at the convention 
we had at Washington, and find out from these persons how 
many have been with the alien all through his life until he got 
his final citizenship papers and voted. They don't know whether 

58 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

he has taken the course in education, or whether he has been 
in the shops, unless he has been followed along. [Applause.] 

Mr. FOUT, of Youngstown, Ohio. There is one phase that 
has not been touched upon in this paper, and that is a Board 
of Supervisors which should work not only in the plant, but 
on the outside as well. I have also discovered that the foreigner 
is very, very fond of secret societies, and they meet very, 
very often, and a great deal of the success of my work is 
due to the fact that I have been in their meetings. We have 
now a building where there are fourteen different secret societies 
meeting every week. In that way I have the privilege of going 
in there every week, and I think that is one way to keep in touch 
with the foreign population — by keeping in touch with the 
things they are interested in, outside of the plant as well as in 
the plant. I want to say that the superintendent of our plant 
is very vitally interested in Americanization, and he talks it 
over with the other superintendents of the mill. 

Mr. ASHE. I would like to ask a question. In drawing up 
this resolution, was it the intention to specify the Director of 
Americanization, to attract particular emphasis to it, so that 
this particular job will be done by one special man? I think 
there is quite a little feeling as to what the purpose of this reso- 
lution is. Perhaps an explanation would be helpful. 

Mr. VERMILLION. The idea that the committee had in 
mind in preparing that resolution in its present form is simply 
this: The committee believes that Americanization work is a 
mighty important work in any industry, and that it is im- 
portant enough to be made a department with a man equal 
to the job on the job handling Americanization. If you take 
an industry of any size, there are enough things pertaining 
to the field of the foreign-born so that a plant director of some 
calibre will have his hands entirely filled all the time and work 
overtime. In our industry, with twenty -five hundred foreign- 
born employees, my office is their office. It is the information 
bureau of our organization, and any information that they want 
along any line they come to us for, and they bring some very 
interesting problems. The plant director of Americanization 
is the man who represents the foreign-born, or the point of 
contact between the foreign-born of his industry and every other 
agency with which they are operating. The point we wanted 

59 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

to emphasize was the fact that if we are going to do this 
Americanization work, as it ought to be done, we want to 
make those connected with the job realize it is important 
enough to make it a sub-department in the industry and put 
a man on the job to handle it. That was the idea of the 
resolution. 

Mr. BEATTY. I had a point in the question that was asked 
a few minutes ago. When I asked how many directors of Ameri- 
canization there are here, without any other duties, the vote 
seemed to indicate that a very large percentage of us do have 
many other duties besides that of Americanization. The Ameri- 
canization program, as it is blocked out, must result, as it seems 
to me, in covering a great many more activities than any single 
man would be able to accomplish. There are about a dozen 
people in the work that I am connected with. I would question 
the wisdom of the resolution as presented by the committee 
from the fact that a large percentage of the organizations repre- 
sented here are relatively small, not many of us are as large as 
the Ford Motor Car Company, or as large as the Goodyear 
Company, or as large as the American Steel and Wire Company. 
Most of us represent small companies, with a few hundred, per- 
haps, where a director of Americanization would necessarily 
be expected to have a great many other duties. There was one 
other point raised by a lady here (indicating) as to why the 
committee suggested it must be a man. 

Mr. EATON. I think perhaps I might state a word here which 
will help matters a little. We have all been to conventions, 
and some of us to a good many of them. Most conventions have 
a resolutions committee, and that resolutions committee retires 
to the bar room and they get up some resolutions. There being 
no bar room here at Nantasket, it was thought by the so-called 
"Steering Committee" that the best way to get at this thing 
was to bring it up on the floor. In most places, as you know, 
the resolutions committee comes in, the resolutions are pre- 
sented, and the committee frowns upon you if you say anything 
against them. They are voted on and carried. Here they are 
brought up on the floor, as something for you gentlemen and 
ladies to argue, not necessarily in the form in which they will 
be finally presented for your consideration. If you put this reso- 
lution in a certain form now, it does not mean that this form is 

60 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

the record of the action of this body. The resolutions will come 
up again for final discussion and adoption, so you are not com- 
mitting yourself in any way today, except indicating to the 
committee what you desire in a resolution. 

Mr. A. R. HOWE, Safety Service, Standard Parts Com- 
pany, Cleveland, Ohio. I should think that with a company 
as large as the Firestone Company, it would be a very com- 
mendable thing to have a man whose sole duties were American- 
ization work, but with a small company I think the man who was 
doing personal service work could do that very nicely. Of 
course, in a large company like the Ford, I realize that it keeps 
one man busy all the time, and in that case it is very fine to have 
a man whose special duty is that of Americanization Director. 

DELEGATE. It seems the important thing is that there 
should be an individual whose responsibility is to have charge 
of Americanization. There must be someone definitely charged 
with this responsibility, and responsible to the management for 
this field of work. 

Mr. EATON. We are going to drop this discussion for a few 
moments. We are particularly fortunate in having with us this 
afternoon Mr. Howard Coonley, President of the Walworth 
Manufacturing Company, and also Vice-President of the Emer- 
gency Fleet Corporation. Those of you who have had to do with 
government affairs in the last two or three years will remember 
how he has taken care of things, and brought them out of chaos, 
and he has come over here to talk to you on Americanization 
in the face of his numerous duties, and also despite the fact that 
he is going on a trip tomorrow. He has no particular subject, 
but I am sure he has a message for us. 

Mr. COONLEY. Ladies and Gentlemen: I appreciate very 
much the opportunity of coming here. When Mr. Quimby asked 
me to speak to you, he assured me that the meeting would be 
absolutely informal, and so I have not prepared anything to 
say. 

A short time ago Mr. Quimby asked me to try to get Mr. 
Schwab to come here to talk to you. Now I knew Mr. Schwab 
was tired, but in spite of that I did ask him and he very reluc- 
tantly declined. I am going to read to you this note, because 
it is very characteristic of Mr. Schwab. Then I will talk more 
about him before I speak on another subject. 

61 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

(Mr. Schwab's note read by Mr. Coonley.) 

Loretto, Pa., 
June 16, 1919. 
My dear Mr. Coonley: 

Here I am in the country having a real quiet rest. It is the 
first time in twenty years that I have had a full week's visit here, 
and I am enjoying it immensely. 

I am sorry I cannot come to Boston at the time you name. 
The country people here are having a demonstration lasting 
from June 22d to 25th, at which I have promised to be present. 
Part of the program will be a flag and flagpole presentation by 
them to me. 

However, even if this were not on hand, and notwithstanding 
the fact that I want to please you very much, I would still make 
a strenuous effort to avoid going. My wife is decidedly set 
against my doing any talking this summer, and I am sure 
you will appreciate that I do not want to do so. 

You help me out, my friend. You can make better excuses 
than I can. Excuse me, won't you? 

With love, 

Sincerely yours, 

C. M. S. 

I just wanted to read that because it is characteristic, because 
when he says "with love" to anybody closely associated with 
him, he means it. I never met a man in my life who has greater 
love for men. He loves people, whether they be workmen or 
so-called Wall Street plutocrats. He likes all, whether they be 
good or bad, because he believes they are not naturally bad at 
heart. 

I have seen Mr. Schwab go through a great change in mental 
attitude, lately, toward industrial relations, and perhaps you 
who have followed him have seen that he has taken some steps 
decidedly different from the stand which he made some years ago. 

I want to say something to you about this great question of 
Americanization and what it means to me. 

[Mr. Coonley spoke at some length rather intimately and in 
a very interesting manner concerning his experiences in his own 
concerns. One of his very concrete illustrations and a practical 
handling of an Americanization problem in industry follows.] 

In one of our plants we have a shop conference committee 
which started to work last March. That committee was com- 
posed, and is composed today, of seven men all elected by the 

62 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 



employees, and that committee has been working out beauti- 
fully. It has not put into effect or even suggested anything 
radical. I think we have the highest piece rating plant in the 
country, and nothing has been suggested by the men to the 
committee to change the rates. They are convinced that the 
only way we can afford to pay a little more than other workmen 
are getting is by turning out a little more than other people are 
turning out, and they are honestly working hard toward that 
end. 

After this committee had been at work about two months, a 
group of laborers walked out one day without an explanation. 
Everyone of the men who walked out was a non-English-speak- 
ing individual. The plant committee and the workmen on the 
committee were the first to hear about the walk-out. They 
rushed in to our manager, who is a very fine type of individual, 
having some of Mr. Schwab's characteristics — they went to this 
man and said: "What are you going to do about this? All the 
hunkies have left both foundries." 

"What am I going to do about it? Absolutely nothing. This 
is your job. This is the first real job your committee has ever 
had, and I want to see if you are any good. You have always 
wanted a chance to change conditions; now how are you going 
to handle it?" 

They said they didn't realize what it meant; that they could 
handle anybody except non-English-speaking people. 

The seven representatives of the employees on the committee 
worked all day, and the next morning had those foreign workers 
back, and had them back without giving them anything. When 
they came back they all sat down and reviewed the question, 
and the committee found, through interpreters, that the men 
thought some of them weren't getting enough money, and when 
they went through the situation, it was found that some of the 
men actually were not getting enough money. 

This situation was brought about by the lack of American- 
ization work. You cannot hold men who cannot talk with you. 
There must be an exchange of ideas. There must be absolute 
frankness between manager and workmen, and this must be 
known to every workman in the plant, and just as soon as you 
have a condition in which men cannot pass along information, 
you are going to have unsatisfactory times. 

63 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

My own feeling is that we have not tested out industrial 
relations properly. I look for tremendous business this fall. I 
also look for tremendous labor shortage. What are we going to 
do about it? Who is the man that is going to keep his people 
about him? Who is the man that is going to be able to run his 
shop one hundred per cent? It is the man who is getting closest 
to his people, who is making his people understand his prob- 
lems and their own problems. Such a manager will be working 
for the same thing as his men are seeking. 

There can't be any curtailment. There must be maximum 
production and maximum pay, and both management and men 
must get the benefit of the work. 

(The audience arose and applauded Mr. Coonley at the close 
of his speech.) 

Mr. EATON. We will go back for a moment to the subject 
under discussion. Mr. Vermillion, do you want to offer this 
resolution for adoption? 

(Resolution read by Mr. Vermillion.) 

Resolved, That every industry should have an Americanization 
Department with a competent man in charge as Plant Director. 

Mr. VERMILLION. We did not say that the Plant Director 
might not be a lady. 

Mr. EATON. If the motion is supported, I would suggest, 
as we have another paper, that it be put without further dis- 
cussion, as we have had pretty thorough discussion. 

Mr. DeWITT. May I suggest a qualification? Suppose 
you have two factories or three factories, where it would be 
possible for one man to take care of all three, would you qualify 
that so that one man could take care of all three? 

Miss WILSON. I move the resolution be referred back to the 
Committee on Resolutions, to be re-drafted. 

Motion seconded and carried, and the matter was given back 
to the Committee on Resolutions. 

Mr. EATON. We will now proceed with the next number, 
which is, "Shall instruction be under supervision of public edu- 
cational forces?" by Mr. H. T. Waller, of the Board of Education, 
of Akron, Ohio. 

Mr. WALLER. Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen-. Mr. 
Clark wrote a paper and was not present; Mr. Hall read a paper 

64 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

and did not write it, and I am going to deliver one without 
having written it. It has been somewhat difficult for me to keep 
my seat in this Conference. You will notice that it was rather 
quiet up to the time the unfortunate Steering Committee pre- 
sented this resolution which challenged the job of some of you 
fellows, then you began to get busy, and right here may I 
say I think there is one of the bad facts of Americanization 
work. 

While I may not look it in age, I am probably one of the oldest 
workers in this field in the room, for I was a Y. M. C. A. secre- 
tary in Cambridge in 1906, and when we went to Akron in 1912 
we found there that which I will take the liberty of discussing a 
little later — we found there certain things they were talking 
about in the Y. M. C. A., and certain conferences in general 
that didn't quite hitch up with some of our industrial leaders, 
and so one day a manager of one of the large concerns said to 
me: "Waller, you are talking about this Americanization stuff 
as if you thought yourself there was something to it, and you 
talk about industry. Now see here, young fellow, why don't 
you come into the industry and do it? Just do it." 

I said to myself, "That's easy," so I resigned as an association 
officer and started in. Well, I kept doing it, and I did over a 
whole lot of things, and when Mr. Roth well spoke today about 
the dead alleys he had gone into, I assented, because there were 
many that I had gone into and found absolutely sealed tight, 
and had to turn around and go back and do the work all over 
again. 

Mr. Hall presented to you a splendid paper, but do you 
realize that seventy-five per cent of that Plant Director's time 
was given over to the matter of instruction and to the super- 
vision of instruction? You talk about one person doing all he 
is describing there — I will guarantee there is no plant small 
enough for one person to give all his time and do all he described 
in that paper — and you are fearful about your jobs! 

Now the fact is that Americanization and the superficial mind, 
in your mind, and in the minds of many for years, has been that 
it had to do with the teaching of English; but Americanization 
will not be Americanization until it includes the American as 
well as the foreign-born — don't forget that — and any plan that 
you have or may develop will have to be a plan that will include 

65 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

in its actual carrying out, actual co-operation of the American 
workman with the foreign-born workman. 

My paper is largely supplemental to that presented by Mr. 
Hall on the duties of the Plant Director, except that I wish to 
have you, if you please, get an idea of this thing from the angle 
of the entire community, yes, of the state and nation, and the 
world, rather than of a single plant. 

Mr. Clark's paper was on the "Employee, the Employer and 
the Community," but we hardly get a picture of that fine rela- 
tionship through actual business. I can remember only a few 
years ago when some employers of men said "To hell with the 
community!" Those same men today are not saying that thing. 
They have seen a new vision, and they have absolute sincerity 
in the vision they have seen, and sincerity in the desire to work 
out their problems through what they have seen, and they have 
seen that their business is deeply connected with the community 
and community life. 

Why aren't we having more steps taken in housing, in social 
development, in cleaning-up centers, and trying to prevent the 
creating of slums? We find a slum condition produces a slum 
product. We are finding that a condition existing in the com- 
munity pushes itself into the industry and out again into the 
community through the community product. Therefore, any 
plan for Americanization that we have must be inclusive, not 
exclusive. It must embody the entire community, and not that 
of a single organization, or of a single industry. 

Will you pardon me if I dwell rather personally on the devel- 
opment of this idea? 

Akron has had seven years of intensive Americanization effort. 
Seven years ago it would have been as impossible for me to have 
gotten the Board of Education to have spent a dollar on Ameri- 
canization as it would have been to turn back the tides that are 
coming in below us. The Y. M. C. A. consented to do Ameri- 
canization work as part of its program. It went into this large 
industrial city and found practically nothing being done. It 
instituted these classes and it tried to get the use of the public 
school buildings. Fortunately, they were allowed to use certain 
school buildings in which they conducted evening classes. 
Those classes were conducted for three years, all the time recog- 
nizing that it was not reaching the whole community. Then, 

66 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

the Chamber of Commerce asked to take a hand, and they raised 
a special fund and gave it to the Board of Education and said, 
"You go ahead and do it." And they did it half-heartedly. The 
results were not as satisfactory as when it was under the control 
of the Y. M. C. A., perhaps due to the fact that the Y. M. C. A. 
did not put the pep back of its work that it should while it was 
not responsible for it. You know we are all human. We like 
to say, "If you think you can do a thing, go ahead and do it." 
You know there is always something selfish in our make-up, 
at least there is in mine, perhaps there is not in yours. The 
Chamber of Commerce tried another year with an indifferent 
response on the part of the Board of Education, and naturally 
the work did not thrive, and there was no spirit and no pep back 
of it, with the result that we in the Goodrich factory were doing 
a large work, and other factories were doing a little work, and 
the Board of Education was making believe. 

After five years of intensive work, in which it was driven home 
to the consciences of the people that the public buildings were for 
public use at any time, day or night, while there were a few that 
said they didn't have the money — and they didn't — somehow 
or other a year ago, or a little more, the Board of Education 
decided they would do something. At any rate, they hired the 
best man they could find in the country as assistant superin- 
tendent of schools, and he was charged definitely with the re- 
sponsibility of conducting Americanization work in school build- 
ings and outside of school buildings, anywhere, any place, at 
any time where groups could be brought together; and that is 
just what we mean — that classes should be held in the schools, 
in the home, in the factory, or in the church, at night or in the 
day time — at any time. This was a little over a year ago, and 
the results you can read today on the charts outside. It was 
simply a natural steady growth with no great expenditure. 
Why, some of you fellows on the Steering Committee here, a 
year ago were not known of, and you have come as naturally 
and quietly into the game as can be, and today you are leading, 
because you have a plan that actually affects the whole com- 
munity, and it is not a plan having one social center or one 
church, or one industry, and feeling you have actually done 
the job of Americanization, but you have got a whole city of 
two hundred thousand people who are reflecting Americaniza- 

67 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

tion; they are living it and doing it, and their Board of Educa- 
tion spent $30,000 the first year and $60,000 the next year in 
supervising this work. I have spoken of this simply to lead up 
to this point: I know if I asked this question as to whether the 
Boards of Education are fit to carry out the instruction for these 
classes, I know just exactly what your answer would be, because 
I have made it many times, and I frankly say to you as a Director 
of Plant Americanization, it took six months of intensive work 
with the assistant superintendent of schools before I was willing 
to say, "Wiles, go on in and supervise the instruction of these 
classes;" but I did say it, and why did I say this? Even the 
Bureau doesn't know this. I told him for this reason: I didn't 
want growing up in the city of Akron a whole lot of disintegrated 
groups on Americanization; I would rather the whole city would 
take hold of the whole problem. 

Now, Mr. Director of Americanization, am I taking your job 
away by saying that the Boards of Education should be social- 
ized so that they can adapt themselves to the teaching of the 
foreign-born? Not a bit. I am making you job just one thousand 
per cent bigger than you ever dreamed of its being because I am 
making your job the unit between the high ideal American and 
the foreign-born who wants to be a high ideal American. Talk 
about whipping them in line — you can't do it, and the general 
manager can't do it, and the president of the company can't 
do it. I will show you why. The general manager of the Good- 
rich Company was a man who had been with the company for a 
long time and had seen it grow from a small organization of a 
few hundred to where it now numbers twenty thousand. That 
man has seen things grow, and he is seeing things in a very 
different way from what he saw them fifteen years ago. But 
down in the plant is Mike O'Hara, a foreman of one of the de- 
partments, who is driven by the men in mahogany row, and 
Mike has always driven in the same way. Mike doesn't see the 
"big boss" very often, and doesn't know what changes are 
taking place, so as Mike is always loyal to the "big boss," he 
is doing today what the "big boss" told him fifteen years ago, 
and he has not changed. He has not grown as the "big boss" 
has grown. 

What is the solution? You, Mr. Plant Director. The Plant 
Director is the solution of that problem. He is the one who is 

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AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

going to come in personal contact with those old-time foremen. 
I know it, because I have seen them change, and I have seen 
them change their tactics toward the foreign-born. 

"Shall it be done by public educational forces?" Yes. And 
your function in industry is not education, your function is 
production, and you can't get away from it. There is no use in 
your setting up as an educational institution. You say the 
Boards of Education can't do the job. Why can't they do the 
job? Because of so and so, and so and so; then change the 
Board of Education, and change it quick! [Applause.] 

We must develop in this nation of ours, and especially in these 
days we must develop an educational program that is going to 
teach how to live. Yes. That is going to teach how to serve? 
Yes. But I would like to add one other thing — that program must 
teach the people to be fit to know how to live and how to serve. 
You who are interested in the great problems of Americanization, 
remember you cannot draw the line between the foreigner and 
the American. I will trace with you as far back as anyone in 
the room, but I know I am an immigrant, and the son of an 
immigrant, and I know that over here is Tony, and I know that 
Tony's ancestors were doing some of the big things in the world's 
history when mine were eating acorns. And I can take your 
Slovaks, your Bohemians, and your Russians, men we call 
radicals, do you know why they are radicals today in this 
country? Simply because we have not been doing true nation- 
alization work. We have not been true to our highest ideals. 
There would be no Bolshevism, because there would be no 
Lenine and no Trotsky, had we been alive to true American 
idealism. 

I say to you that our public educational forces must assume 
the leadership in instruction, and we, as plant directors, must 
work out that very delicate problem of relationship between 
the supervision and recruiting of people in the classes. This is 
the real test, and it will increase as our work increases in value; 
but it is vital to bring the great forces of education to recognize 
their responsibility of socialized education, and to bring indus- 
try into a relationship where co-operative work is a realized 
fact. In this way a whole community will come to recognize 
the tremendous value of a united, intelligent citizenship. 
[Applause.] 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Mr. EATON. I will read the resolution recommended by the 
Steering Committee: 

Resolved, That instruction in industries should be under the 
supervision of public educational forces. 

In discussing Mr. Waller's remarks, it will be well to keep 
this resolution in mind. 

Mr. WM. R. SPRIEGEL, Americanization School, Morgan 
Wright Company, Detroit. I am whole-heartedly in favor 
of this resolution in every respect. I don't mean that the 
public school is infallible, or anything like that, for I don't think 
the public school system is absolutely perfect; but if any 
group of people are to scientifically direct education in industry, 
it seems the public school men are the ones that will grow in their 
individual branches and will take upon themselves the respon- 
sibility and be glad to do it. I am not engaged in industry at 
the present time, but am on the public school board, and I know 
the public schools are interested in industry, and industry is 
interested in the school. 

Mr. O. C. SHORT, of Trenton, N. J. I would like to ask 
one question. On the selection of teachers, whether that will 
be left with the Board of Education, or whether they will come 
from the industrial field, or otherwise? I raise that point for this 
reason: I went into industry after I had taught high school for 
eight or nine years. During the past year in our Americanization 
classes the majority of teachers were teachers out of the public 
schools, part from the high school and part from the graded 
schools. Some of the women had had several years' experience 
in the graded schools, and they have done an excellent piece of 
work teaching the adult population. The School Board took 
the attitude if we found a teacher who was not qualified, that 
they would give him a certificate, if after a year he showed his 
fitness. I would like some information. 

Mr. IRISH, of Fall River, Mass. I have had some experi- 
ence both as a teacher voluntarily and part paid. I have had 
a great many classes personally, and a great many teachers 
working for me. I have had public school teachers, and I have 
had those who had barely finished a grammar school education. 
One of the best teachers of the largest classes is a lady who was 
an academic teacher of the public schools. Some of my very best 

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AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

workers among the men are men who have never had training 
as public school teachers, but have taken the course of training 
for this particular line of work that we give ourselves. 

And on another point: Shall industry choose the teacher or 
not; shall it have something to say about the choice? That is 
the vital point. [Applause.] I don't think there is an industrial 
man in the country today that wants to say, "My plant is open 
for Jones, Smith, or Brown to come in because he is a good 
school teacher. I ought to pick somebody to come in and teach 
my men." I don't think an industrial man ought to be ordered 
by us any more than we could go to his home and say he should 
put somebody in there. Industrial men have something to say 
about their industry, the same as you have something to say 
about your home. Each one must handle his own problem. 

There are methods, and I believe there could be a way whereby 
the public school authorities could superintend and direct this 
educational work. But, as it has been carried on in the greater 
part of the country, I consider the operation a failure. I believe 
that the Y. M. C. A. will accomplish more than the public 
school will accomplish. They leave out the political and get the 
personal element in industry in teaching English. The indus- 
trial man is logically the real interpreter to these men because 
he is the man in actual contact with them. If you can get a man 
in your own plant you will get something that is worth more 
than all the hired teachers, because of that fact alone. 

Mr. WALLER. May I answer that question, please? Your 
Plant Director is the recruiting agent. He brings the men into 
the plant, and he is hired by the industry. Your teacher is held 
responsible for the results of the education, and naturally the 
person held responsible for results has got to pick them out and 
fire them; and that's what you do. You are held responsible 
for results, and you must do that. The Boards of Education, if 
they have not done that, must learn to do that. 

Mr. H. A. DALLAS, Massachusetts State Board of 
Education. I would like to say a word on the way we handle 
the situation in Massachusetts. We have been working three 
years on this question on what we call a federal-state program, 
and tomorrow I hope to bring down a set of bulletins to show how 
the various organizations might co-operate with the State 
Board of Education in this Americanization work. We have 

71 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

courses prepared which we furnish free to the industrial classes. 
We have classes also which are conducted for teachers, instruct- 
ing them in the methods of teaching English. We take people 
that are recommended by their own management of the different 
plants and give them this training course. Naturally, we like to 
have people of good education, and if teachers, so much the 
better; but we like to have them receive this training and become 
good teachers. 

There is a bill in the legislature now asking that $100,000 
be appropriated to reimburse cities and towns for one-half of 
the debt in furnishing teachers to industry in conducting classes 
of this nature. But the training we do willingly, and I will have 
the bulletins down here tomorrow, so that you may see how it is 
done here in Massachusetts. [Applause.] 

Mr. M. H. MELLEN, General Electric Company, West 
Lynn. I would like to explain the nature of the work we do. 
We have several classes that we conduct through the winter, 
and in doing that work we co-operate with the school department 
of the city of Lynn. That is, they are responsible for the quality, 
you might say, of the work which we do. The bringing together 
of the people and the selecting of the teachers, etc., I am respon- 
sible for. 

The teachers we use, with the exception of two who were found 
to be normal school graduates, we had in the plant; the others 
were trained under the course given by Mr. Towne of the State 
Board of Education, and we find our work to be quite successful. 
We do not graduate any because we do not feel that we have 
completed the number of hours' work, or tried to follow out the 
state plan, which calls for sixty lessons. We were only able to 
accomplish forty-one or forty-two, therefore we do not deem 
it wise to give out any certificates, but will carry out the work 
another year. 

But the point I want to bring out is that we carry on our 
work with the co-operation of the city of Lynn. I think there 
is a certain incentive in co-operating with the city officials, 
and it gives more spirit to it than if the industry tried to carry 
it on single-handed. 

Mr. W. F. HOWES, Employment Manager, Hoyt Shoe 
Company, Manchester, N. H. I would like to ask Mr. Waller 
a question. In the first place, I think he said, if my memory 

72 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

serves me right, that $30,000 was appropriated by the city of 
Akron, with a two hundred thousand population, to carry on 
Americanization work. I would like to ask if any part of that 
appropriation was for the compensation of teachers in indus- 
trial plants? 

Mr. WALLER. The plan of Akron is to pay all teachers 
employed in doing Americanization work, in teaching English, 
whether in industrial plants or industrial schools. There are 
thirty-five teachers at the Goodrich Company and fifteen or 
twenty in the Goodyear, I think, but I know the plan is to pay 
for the teachers in the industrial plants. 

(At this time the Chair called for question on the adoption 
of the resolution, and the motion was declared carried by the 
Chair. However, the vote was doubted.) 

Mr. JUDD, of Hawaii. As long as I voted with those voting 
"Yes," perhaps it would be better for me to make a motion 
asking for a recount. 

Mr. EATON. The motion has been made by the gentleman 
from Hawaii that the action of this body in adopting that reso- 
lution be reconsidered. 

Motion is seconded and carried that the action on this resoh> 
tion be reconsidered. 

Resolution is read again by the Chairman, put to vote and 
carried, and the motion is declared adopted. 

Afternoon session is adjourned at this time until 9 A. M 
June 24, 1919. 

The banquet is to be held at 6.30 P. M. this evening. 

Adjourned. 



TVESDAY, JUNE 24, X919, MORNING SESSION 

Meeting called to order at 9.30 A. M. by Mr. Quiniby. 

Mr. QUIMBY. We are very fortunate this morning in 
having as our presiding officer one of the distinguished citizens 
of the state, Mr. B. Preston Clark, Vice-President of the Ply- 
mouth Cordage Company, Plymouth, Mass. During the war, 
Mr. Clark rendered great service to this state on the Public 
Safety Committee of Massachusetts, and is extremely interested 
in the subject we are discussing at this conference. I know you. 

will all enjoy having Mr. Clark preside this morning 

73 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Mr. B. P. CLARK. It is not my purpose to inflict upon 
you a speech, but I must say to you who are actual workers along 
Americanization lines how keenly the progressive employers of 
today are interested in this important subject. 

I am not wise enough, nor am I foolish enough to attempt to 
tell you practical men and women how to do your job. But one 
or two thoughts occur to me. 

This interest in Americanization is a very natural thing today. 
When this country entered the Great War, after three hundred 
years, during which every one had done within certain limits 
very much as they pleased, we were called on, as a unit, to 
strike a hammer blow for liberty. 

This we did, and it was our united will in war that made it 
possible for us to do our part in winning it. Today the war is 
over; the tumult and shouting die; and two great human facts 
emerge, the increasing power of the people and the value of 
human leadership. 

As these two combine will be the social structure, safe and 
beneficent, or dangerous and explosive. Either is possible, one 
of them will become a reality. And so our real task is ahead. 
Like John Paul Jones, we have just begun to fight. 

And what is it for which we must strive? It is for the same 
united will in peace that we attained in war. Impossible, we 
may say, but America has done the impossible during the last 
two years, and she will do it again. 

I believe in intelligently directed effort, and the result depends 
very largely on how clear our vision is; one man may see a great 
deal and another not so much. I remember the story of the 
tailor standing listening to the thunder of Niagara in the mist 
which drifts eternally below the Horseshoe Falls, and his only 
remark was * 'great place to sponge a coat." It was that, but it 
was a good deal more. Upon what we, ourselves, see in Ameri- 
canization depends, to a great extent, the possibilities; and we 
must see more than the sponging of a coat. 

Americanization, as I see it, is really the welding together of 
the forty races that throng America today, into a powerful and 
harmonious whole. Nothing more splendid could be imagined, 
and nothing less will serve. For each one of these races has its 
own and special contribution to make to the life of this great 
nation. — •-- - ' 

74 






AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

We are at last a unit, with a common future and with common 
problems. On our mutual understanding and co-operation de- 
pends the future of our nation. United we stand, divided we 
fall. 

These people, many of them so untaught, so simple, and many 
of them of the highest degree of intellect, and all so diverse, are 
very splendid. They make the bone and sinew of America. As 
one thinks of our country today, he remembers what Abraham 
Lincoln said, that God must have loved the common people 
very much, because He made so many of them. 

And in this work of co-operation industry has a vital part to 
play, because it is in the great workshop of the world that the 
great bulk of men spend most of their waking hours. 

So this work of Americanization, carried out through the many 
methods which are being used, is full of possibilities for good. 
And in this work we must remember always that the many 
races among whom are we privileged to work, have capacities 
far beyond what any of us realize. 

That is the one sure thing. And if we do our best to help 
these capacities to become facts, each in our own concern, we 
shall not only build our own concern stronger, but we shall at 
the same time be helping in that larger work which we must 
ever bear in mind, the real constructive democracy of these 
great United States. 

The first paper on the program this morning is entitled 
"Methods by Which to Secure and Retain Class Attendance. 
(a) Compulsory; (b) Voluntary.'' This paper is by Mr. A. L. 
Stretter, of the Jacob Dold Packing Company, Buffalo, N. Y., 
and as he is unable to be present, it will be read by Mr. J. J. 
Hoornstra, of the White Motor Company. 

Mr. HOORNSTRA. Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: 
Our program shows as Mr. A. L. Stretter's paper "Methods by 
Which to Secure and Retain Class Attendance, (a) Compul- 
sory; (b) Voluntary." The speaker whose place I have the 
honor of taking at this moment had the very obvious intention 
to deal with his subject in as broad a manner as the allotted 
fifteen minutes would allow him to. 

WTiether the division of his paper into two parts, touching 
upon the compulsory and the voluntary side of the question, 
has been put on the official program at his own instigation or 

75 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

according to the wishes of Mr. Vermillion and his co-workers, 
I cannot decide. 

But aware as you all are of the short notice given me, none 
of you is expecting an objective report throwing light on the 
subject from different angles. All I feel in duty bound to do is 
to give this meeting the incentive toward a spirited discussion 
of a problem of such vital importance that I am inclined to call 
it the problem. 

Without first securing and then retaining class attendance, 
Americanization is an idle word, to be sure. Discussion of this 
problem is what we want! 

And how could we better come to that collision of opinions 
from which always truth jumps forward, as our Gallic friends 
say, than by being very subjective? 

Neglecting a slight fear overcoming me that someone may 
misinterpret my talking about the White Motor Company and 
myself, I am going to tell you on which side of the fence we 
are. 

We do not believe that compulsion in any form or manner can 
be successful. At any rate, we have never tried it since our 
adoption of the other method is bearing excellent fruit. 

How do we secure attendance? 

Our employment bureau keeps records of our 5,500 employees, 
giving, among other information, complete data regarding the 
status of their citizenship. November, 1918, we had about 
twenty per cent aliens, of whom three hundred had no papers 
at all. Like so many others we had been woefully neglecting. 
While talking to and with our men for four years in the shop- 
committee meetings, we had overlooked the fact that a body 
of over one thousand men had been actually forgotten. 

Our bureau of industrial service had a new activity added to 
the many it was charged w T ith — the organization of classes for 
citizenship. All those nearly five years in America and in pos- 
session of first papers twenty months old and older, were notified 
in a personal talk with their foremen that the company was 
willing to take charge of their entire preparation for the citizen's 
examination. Practically all responded and I started w r ith 
one hundred and fifty pupils in four classes. All classes were 
and are now conducted during working hours on company's 
time. For a fact, since we selected the last hour of the day, 

76 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

4:80 to 5:30 P. M., as the school hour, time and a half is paid, 
this being overtime. 

The only thing we have asked our men is to co-operate with 
us by home study, which a great many have faithfully done, 
as shown by the results. It may be interesting to you to know 
that we take this attitude of faith in the good-will of the over- 
great majority of men in all matters. (No individual efficiency 
records, etc.) Nearly two hundred have passed their examina- 
tion, only two failing. 

We are connected with the Cleveland Americanization Board 
in so far as we use Professor Moley's excellent manual for home 
study, and have acquired the privilege of issuing to our success- 
ful candidates the official certificate of that Board. In this mo- 
ment there are, in five of my classes in our plant, two hundred 
pupils whom I have left in care of the chief of the Cleveland 
Immigration Bureau as a teacher. 

The service bureau is keeping on filling up my classes, and I 
can safely predict that within a year we shall be one hundred 
per cent American, on paper! 

For, do not forget, if you please, that real Americanization 
is a problem that goes deeper than making citizens. If I had 
not been able, through personal contact, to make a great number 
of my graduates "regular users" of our library, if I had not 
helped to create for many Americans in our plant, native and 
naturalized, new values in their intellectual, physical, and moral 
life, I should judge my educational work a miserable failure. 

In answer to the question "How to retain attendance?" in 
my estimation only one answer can be given: Make things 
interesting! How to do this is a secret that can hardly be learned. 
Some men in the shops have been successful teachers in Ameri- 
canization work; they were born teachers. Naturally, the 
routine of the work and methods can be learned, but especially in 
the delicate problem of approaching the alien with his different 
point of view, intuition is a necessity. 

In closing these remarks, I assure you, ladies and gentlemen, 
that if a few of you have heard anything at all of interest, 
I shall be fully repaid for my little trouble and feel that I have 
only paid a small part of the debt I owe some of you w r ho have 
enlightened all of us, I dare say, by your interesting papers. 
[Applause.] 

77 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Mr. CLARK. The meeting, ladies and gentlemen, is now 
open for discussion of the paper, and I have been told that each 
member must not speak over three minutes. Each member, in 
rising, will kindly state his or her name, the city from which 
they came, and the company and position which they represent. 

Mr. A. R. HOWE, Standard Parts, Cleveland, Ohio. 
When we first started our classes in Americanization work we 
taught English and the Board of Education had charge of the 
work. The Board of Education is very strong for offering the 
men some sort of an incentive to go to school, that they be paid 
for half time, and it has worked out very successfully in some 
plants. Our plant took a decided stand against it, as we think 
if a man is not willing to go half way, we should not go at all. 
We feel that the man should furnish the time if we furnish the 
material, and if he is not willing to do that, we don't want him 
at all. 

We had a little trouble in maintaining attendance. A great 
many of our men started, and then dropped out. I think that 
is due to this fact: W r e have a ten-hour shift; after a man has 
worked ten hours he is pretty tired, and to go in and give an 
extra hour is quite an effort on his part. I would like to hear a 
discussion on this as to whether the company should go half 
way with the men or whether they should not. Personally, I 
look at it in this light: I think that the proposition of American- 
ization is so big and vital that the thing we should do is to get 
after the men, those aliens, or those foreign-speaking men, 
to teach them as quickly as possible our principles of citizenship 
and our ways, and to do that with the idea that we want to 
Americanize the foreigner as quickly as we can possibly do it. 
If we can't do it by making it attractive for him to want to 
become a citizen, we ought to do it in some other way, because 
if we don't get them, somebody else will. It seems to me to 
be a very vital thing to get them as quickly as possible, not 
only for the advantage that I know it will be to the community, 
but as a safeguard against Bolshevism. 

Mr. DeWITT. I would like to ask the last speaker if he has 
any children, or if anybody has a boy eight years old, and he 
says, "Dad, I am not going to school any more." W T hat do you 
do? You laugh at him, and the next morning you send him off 
to school. W 7 hen I was a boy, I told my father that I wasn't 

78 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

going to school the next morning, and he laughed at me. The 
next morning I refused to go and he conferred a degree on me, 
and I went to school. I have had the same experience the last 
five years with fifteen thousand men. These fellows know no 
more than an eight-year-old boy does, and in that case you 
have got to get them to go to school, and tell them what you 
want. You will never make a success of Americanization until 
you get them into school. You will say that I believe in com- 
pulsion. Yes. And I get these fellows to sign a written state- 
ment that they will go to school if we will allow them three 
cuts. In five years I have only lost one man. He was the only 
one who would not come to school, and I claim it is a good thing 
to have a little compulsion. 

Mr. GIESSE, National Carbon Company, Cleveland. 
The securing of attendance and the maintaining of attendance 
are one of the greatest problems we have been up against for the 
last three years. Five years ago, they started a class, or several 
classes, of five hundred men with the Peter Roberts system. 
The superintendent of the plant took a class, the enthusiasm 
was so great. Four weeks later the attendance dropped to one 
hundred; five months later the attendance dropped to ten; 
and the classes were dropped until three years ago when I got 
into the plant and started anew. 

First, I tried to get voluntary attendance and keep voluntary 
attendance. It failed. Then I started a new system, an Ameri- 
canization Committee which we formed in our plant of the repre- 
sentatives of the various nationalities. We have thirty-five 
nationalities, and the committee was composed of twenty-five 
people. I worked along those lines securing the attendance, 
talking to the various nationalities in their own language 
through the committee, and about eight or nine foreign people 
I could talk to in their own tongue, so we did not have hard 
work at all to get the men into the classes. But we found 
it didn't work until we began to pay half time, and when we 
started to pay half time we had a steady attendance. The 
attendance does not fall off and we request the men to attend 
the classes. We were working on a nine-and-a-half -hour basis; 
a few months ago, since the armistice was signed, we had to drop 
our work to an eight-hour basis, consequently we asked the men 
to go to the school on their own working hours. Two -days later 

79 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

the attendance dropped to half. That showed why a lot of them 
came, and that showed it was because they were paid half time. 
I still feel we must or we should pay them for their going. We 
should feel it is just as much of a benefit to the company as it is 
to the men to have them attend these classes, consequently we 
must give them something to come for. 

As I said yesterday, we have now adopted the policy to make 
it a condition of employment, with our new employees, and we 
also want to make it a condition that the men must have at 
least their first papers and take the first step toward citizenship 
as soon as possible. 

Mr. A. S. MUIRHEAD, Employment Manager, Mt. Hope 
Finishing Company, Dighton, Mass. I was very much 
interested in what Mr. DeWitt said, and what the last speaker 
said. If we could all afford to pay the salaries that the Ford 
Motor Company pays, perhaps we could afford to do it. I think 
it is highly un-American to pay a man to benefit himself. 

The idea prevails about Europe, or did prevail until the war, 
that America is a free country, that all a man has to do is to go 
to America and he could get all the things that are coming to him. 
In the days of Dick Crocker and Bill Devery, it was not diffi- 
cult to make a citizen; in fact they made them so freely that 
the party which prevailed in New York was usually Tammany, 
because they made them citizens before they touched the Ameri- 
can shore. 

Those days have gone by; American citizenship is valued 
more highly today. In setting our standards, the applicant 
for citizenship must know what he is doing before we admit 
him to citizenship. Now, if we pay a man to learn, it will not 
be very long before we have to pay our children to learn. We 
will have to pay our children because you know there is no more 
independent bunch of children in the whole world than the 
young American boy and girl. If you have had the experience 
I have, you will know that they tell their parents pretty nearly 
what to do. The time is coming when, if we pay these aliens 
to learn the English language, they, in turn, will have to pay 
their children to learn the English language. 

Our classes are formed on the basis that when a man learns 
the English language he is more valuable. We pay him larger 
wages* and if there ia promotion in the room, or plafct, he h&fc the 

80 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

chance for that advancement, and we have no trouble at all in 
maintaining our classes. Furthermore, we say to a man, "Unless 
you are willing to learn the English language, we have not got 
the time to teach you in your department; the foremen are too 
busy, and the employees are too well paid for us to call inter- 
preters to tell you what you want to know today/* 

Mr. MARO S. BROOKS, Deputy Commissioner of 
Education, State of New Hampshire. I don't see how 
you are going to discuss this paper without going into the paper 
which is scheduled for Mr. Beatty, and I move we hear his 
paper before we have further discussion. 

Mr. B. P. CLARK. The motion is made that inasmuch as 
these two subjects are so closely allied, perhaps we had better 
have Mr. Beatty present his paper before we continue the 
discussion. 

(Motion seconded and unanimously carried.) 

Mr. B. P. CLARK. We appear to be wonderfully unani- 
mous. I think perhaps at this time it will be proper to have two 
short announcements made, I will call on Mr, W. D< Holden, 
Chairman of the Finance Committee, 

Mr. HOLDEN. I want to say a word on the question of 
finance. When we got together in Washington, and the various, 
people listed on the back of the program were asked to become 
members of the Executive Committee, the question of Finance 
was assigned to me. 

The people of Massachusetts here represented and interested 
in promoting this Convention, have very splendidly taken care 
of the entertainment, and have arranged their finances to cover 
the obligations of the Entertainment Committee. 

The Program and the Attendance Committees have referred 
their expenses to the Finance Committee. Rather than make 
an individual attendance tax to cover the natural expenses, such 
as printing, circulation, stationery and such items (of which 
the bills run up into five hundred dollars), and in view of the fact 
that the people of Massachusetts are to entertain us here, it 
has been thought advisable not to make any assessment by 
the Finance Committee on members representing industries in 
Massachusetts. Therefore, to the forty-five or more repre- 
sentatives outside the state of Massachusetts there will be an 
ajssefcsmefct o£ twenty-five doU&rs e^k-to -<?ove£ the expenses o£ 

81. 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

printing the program and the proceedings of the Convention, 
etc. Unless there is any serious objection — and objections may 
be made to me after the morning session — the Finance Com- 
mittee feels that the best way to do this is to send a letter to 
the people representing industries outside of Massachusetts, 
and ask you to bring to your executive committees, or to the 
heads of your concerns, this request for twenty-five dollars, 
which is the pro rata proportion. Any balance will be refunded 
on the same basis. I hope this meets with your approval. 
[Applause.] 

(Note: See page 133.) 

Mr. E. H. MERRILL. Yesterday we asked if there was any- 
body who wished to visit plants, if they would tell us we would 
arrange it for them. There are various plants that can be 
visited: the Hood Rubber Company of Watertown, the General 
Electric Company of Lynn, Walter M. Lowney Company of 
Boston, and the A. C. Lawrence Leather Company at Peabody. 
If anybody here would like to visit these plants, if they will 
signify it, arrangements will be made. 

Mr. SCHULTZ. I think it would be well to make up a list 
of all those who are attending this Convention. (This was 
seconded.) 

Mr. CLARK. Mr. Quimby says he will be delighted to have 
that done. 



In accordance with the wishes of the meeting, Mr. Beatty will 
read his paper at this time. [Applause.] 

Mr. A. J. BEATTY, Director of Training, American 
Rolling Mill Company, Middletown, Ohio. Mr. Chairman, 
Ladies and Gentlemen : While I have given a good deal of thought 
to the topic assigned to me, I have not reduced it to wTiting. 

The whole question of class attendance is a perplexing one, 
and involves, as you have already heard, the fundamental prob- 
lem as to whether any company can be justified in giving to its 
employees anything at all, whether it be in the shape of pay for 
class attendance, or any other things that may come under the 
head of gifts. 

Now, I don't know just why I was put on the program to dis- 
cuss this question, unless it is that in the organization with which 

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AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

I am connected we do pay the men for their attendance at 
English classes, whether the classes are held during the day or 
during the evening. However, the fact that we are doing that 
does not justify my saying that it is the right thing to do. I will 
admit I don't know what is the best thing to do. While we all 
have theories on this question, their validity is a difficult thing 
to prove. 

We started on the assumption that if we were to pay the men 
for attendance at classes, the attendance would be very much 
better than if we didn't pay them. I don't know w r hether our 
attendance has been any better than it would have been had the 
attendance been wholly voluntary. Some of you seem to have 
had experience with both ways. We have not, except in the 
following manner. As I said here yesterday, we pay men for 
attendance at classes for two sessions only per week, but seme 
of the men have requested that they be given an extra class, three 
sessions a week, the third session on their own time. The attend- 
ance at the extra session, when the men have asked for an extra 
class, has been just as good as at the sessions when the men 
have been paid for it. So there again, I don't know. If any 
of you do know the right way and can demonstrate which is the 
right and best way, I would be very glad to surrender the floor 
right here. 

The question of pay seems to me to be one of the minor 
things in attendance at English classes. By that I mean that 
there are certain elements so very much more important, so 
much more vital to the classes than the question of pay for 
attendance, that the pay for attendance, I believe, is a relatively 
unimportant matter. 

The important factor is the thing which will keep the men 
there after they get there, for I think you will all agree it is a 
relatively easy thing to get them started, but the difficult thing 
is to keep them there after they have started. This essential 
element is not pay for attendance. It is the interest which the 
teacher is able to create and hold. [Applause.] 

This may be aside from the question under discussion, but well- 
prepared teachers, teachers who are continually coached by their 
director, or superintendent, or whoever he may be, keeping 
them keyed up to the importance of their work, and keeping them 
employed with the things which are vitally interesting to the 

83 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

men, are the factors which, in my estimation, are the fundamental 
and important things in class attendance. 

I have undertaken by inquiries and by correspondence to 
determine, as nearly as I can, what methods are in use. I have 
blocked out here on the blackboard the two or three different 
classifications of current methods as to pay, and I just wish to 
get a summary of what we who are here are doing. I think it 
is the most valuable thing that we can do to have this entire 
group classify ourselves on the basis of the chart I have here on 
the board. 

First, I have divided the classes into those meeting during 
the working hours and those meeting during off hours. These 
I have divided again into three groups — where the company 
pays for attendance, where there is no pay for attendance, and 
where the cost in time is borne presumably half and half by the 
men and the company. Now, with that outline, which I think 
covers practically all the ground, I should like just to count 
noses for all the concerns represented here. I think that will give 
us a very valuable foundation on which to base our procedure. 

Now, how many concerns have their classes during working 
hours. Just hold up your hands while they are counted. Sixteen. 

How many have classes during off hours? Thirty-three. I 
have put our school down in both columns, as we have both 
plans in our plant, and possibly others do also. I don't know 
whether we ought to have a column for others who have both, 
but I think it is sufficient if the classes that are held in working 
hours and also in off hours are classified in both columns. Of 
those who have classes in working hours, how many pay for 
class attendance? Eleven. How many have classes during work- 
ing hours, but do not pay for class attendance? One. 

MEMBER. How are you able to have men during their 
working hours and not pay for the working hours? 

Mr. BEATTY. I can't answer that question. I will put the 
question to the house. 

MEMBER. They lose their time. 

Mr. BEATTY. How many will go in this column, which is a 
combination of part pay? Six. Now, of those who have classes 
during off hours, how many pay for attendance at classes? 
Three. The next column, how many have classes during off 
hours, with no pay for attendance? Twenty-nine. 

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AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

How many have the combination plan, say half and half, or 
thereabouts? Four. Evidently these two — pay for classes 
during working hours, and no pay for attendance during off 
hours — are the predominating methods. 

Now, I should like to inquire of those who have classified 
themselves in these two off columns, for instance here, paying a 
man for off time, how they justify that practice. What has been 
your experience? As I say, for our own company, I can't justify 
it. I can't prove it is right. Neither am I willing to admit 
that it is wrong, although I have been assured on several occa- 
sions since coming here that it is pernicious, I can't see that it is. 
I will admit, however, that the purpose for which it was started 
has not been accomplished by that means. 

I have nothing more to offer, but I would like to have you 
justify your own position in this classification. 

CLASSES 



In Work Hours 


Outside Work Hours 


Pay 


No Pay 


Half and Half 


Pay 


No Pay 


Half and Half 


11 


1 


6 


3 


29 

Both on 
and off 
hours 

3 


4 



Mr. DeWITT. I would like to ask Mr. Waller where he was 
working when he subscribed for the first Liberty Bond? When I 
sat down a few moments ago, he said I was a "poor American." 

Mr. CLARK. I would suggest that this is something that 
you are especially interested in, and that you talk it over outside. 

Mr. WALLER. As long as the question is raised on the matter 
of compulsion, I would like to say if my little boy came to me 
and said he was not going to school, I don't think the first thing 
I would do would be to confer a degree upon him in the way Mr. 
De Witt's father did. I think I should use a little reasoning 
power with the eight-year-old, but as a friend of the foreigner, I 
resent the implication that the adult foreigner is a child. [Ap- 
plause.] The adult foreigner, whether he has had educational 

85 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

advantages or not, is still a man and with a wonderful ideal, or 
he would not be here. And when you and I have come to break 
down the barrier, which barrier is that of language, we find 
he has ideals, we find he has ambitions, we find he has contri- 
butions to make to us, we find he thinks in terms of adult living, 
not in terms of childish things, and therefore, Mr. Chairman, 
he should be treated as an adult and reasoned with as an adult, 
and I want to submit to you the most un-American thing we can 
do is to compel a man either to become a citizen or attend a class; 
but the American thing is to so establish the bond between us 
that that man wants to become an American. [Applause.] 

Mr. CLARK. The meeting is now open for discussion, ladies 
and gentlemen, on the paper as read on "Methods by Which to 
Secure and Retain Class Attendance, (a) Compulsory; (6) 
Voluntary,'* and on the thought Mr. Beatty has drawn out, 
the reasons, in the main, for what we are trying to do. So we 
will proceed along the discussion of those questions. 

Mr. MUIRHEAD, Mt. Hope Finishing Company, North 
Dighton, Mass. We all know the Ford Motor people make a 
rattling good car. [Applause and laughter.] And they have also 
sent us a rattling good representative. [Applause.] The point 
I rise to make, Mr. Chairman, is this: In our discussion we 
have got to eliminate all these personalities. It will increase 
the feeling of good-fellowship. [Applause.] 

Mr. GEORGE DOWNING, Manager Industrial Relations 
Walter M. Lownery Company, Boston, Mass. Of the 
number of twenty-nine, I would like to know, for information, 
how many run classes during working hours and also during non- 
working hours? 

Mr. BEATTY. I would like to answer that, for our own con- 
cern, at least. We do have classes during the daytime, pulling 
a man off when he can be spared, also we have evening classes 
where a man comes on his own time. 

Mr. DOWNING. Twenty-nine people have classes during off 
hours, and there is no pay? 

Mr. BEATTY. No pay for the twenty-nine. 

Mr. DOWNING. I would like to know how many of these 
twenty-nine concerns have classes both during working hours 
and off hours? 

Mr. BEATTY. Three only. 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Mr. MUIRHEAD. How many were in work hours and no 
pay? 

Mr. BEATTY. Only one. 

Mr. VINCENT COLELLI, Pennsylvania Railroad. There 
are two sides to the question of compulsion and non compulsion. 
Compulsion, which we have been discussing, is adopted by some 
companies, and by some it is not. Those who have adopted 
compulsion feel that because the man who comes to the classes 
is perhaps thirty-five or forty-five years old, with perhaps six 
or seven or eight or eleven children at home, he feels that after 
the working hours he doesn't want to go to school. He does 
not want to hear anything about America. He wants to take 
care of his little garden, or big farm. Then the employer says, 
"I am going to put that man where he will hear something 
about America,' ' and you make a compact with that man and he 
is going to learn something about Americanization. There are 
seventy-eight who come under compulsion and twenty-two 
voluntarily; how far are you going to accomplish it at that rate? 
Very little. It seems to me that is the reason for compulsion. 

I would rather go of my own will — voluntarily. Not everybody 
comes to this country to get an education. He comes over here 
for liberty, or to escape political oppression, or the oppression 
of religion, or for other reasons. Therefore, I am more in favor 
of giving some kind of an incentive, either pay, or promotion, 
which will stimulate the American, and the foreigners or aliens 
will feel that they want to become new citizens. [Applause.] 

Mr. WM. R. SPRIEGEL, Americanization School, Mor- 
gan & Wright, Detroit, Mich. It seems that the vital ques- 
tion is whether we shall pay for part or whole time. It is bigger 
than a community problem; it is a national problem. We have 
a law in the United States which might be made workable. That 
is the eight per cent tax on the incomes of aliens who do not take 
out their first papers. Then when the alien takes out his first 
papers it reduces the eight per cent to four per cent, until he is 
given his second papers. He pays eighty dollars on one 
thousand dollars, and it should be turned back to be used as a 
fund for him. We should give him the benefits of it. We have 
the law, but it is a joke, and it should be made workable. 

We protect industry, why shouldn't we protect Americanism? 
We have men m our schools* Americans working side by side 

87 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

with the foreigner, why should we pay the foreigner more than 
the American, by paying him for going to school? The Ameri- 
can gets eight dollars a day and the foreigner gets eight dollars 
and fifty cents. He gets more than the American who has 
already gone to school. 

Turn all the money you get from him back into a fund to 
be used for him, and have a law that is workable and worth 
something, so that it will cease to be a laughing-stock. 

Mr. S. W. ASHE, Educational and Welfare Manager, 
General Electric Company, Pittsfield, Mass. I have had a 
good many years' experience with different kinds of educational 
work, and while we are a little new in the Americanization work, 
as it is called here, I do not see very much difference in what 
we are trying to do in an Americanization way, and what we 
have tried to do a great many years in all our other forms of 
evening classes. 

Now, there are two natural times to do the work, if you want 
to get away from this question whether we should pay or should 
not. One is noontime. Where the average man has an hour, 
give him fifteen or twenty minutes for his lunch, and you can 
make it very interesting for him, as Mr. Beatty has pointed out, 
using moving picture films, etc. You will get a good many men 
who are willing to give up a part of their noon hour. With the 
evening classes, we feel that the way to run any sort of an even- 
ing school is to charge a small fee. There would have to be an* 
other classification, which Mr. Beatty did not have there, where 
the men were actually paying for instruction. In this case the 
classes would be of a very high grade with the best instructors 
and material you can get. We charge a fee of five dollars for 
all our evening classes. We have courses that are just as good 
as any technical institution, because we have a large number 
to draw from, and then if a man passes the seventy*five per 
cent mark, he gets his five dollars back. That has a wonderful 
effect in maintaining attendance. It eliminates those who are 
not interested. You start off as a rule with two or three 
hundred pupils. 

In many cases the foreigners actually understand the lan- 
guage. They will learn a great deal more of the language in 
learning engineering, such as they have in the evening classes, 
if yoU put the right man. and plenty of pep into it.. Be vejy> 

88 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

particular about your instruction, and I think you will solve 
your problem. 

Just as soon as j T ou go into the problem of training the man 
on company time and pay for that man, you will get all sorts 
of complications, but if you make it a personal matter, you will 
get good results. 

Mr. E. R. SHIPPEN, Special Representative, War Camp 
Community Service, New York. I think the question of 
compulsion or voluntary attendance is really a psychological 
question. I hope there will be a plebiscite showing of hands, 
at least as to the attitude, as I would like to know how these 
expert men feel and what stand they take on this matter. One 
of our friends here laid down the principle of compulsion, but let 
me say in justice to himself that while he may have a big stick, 
it is plied with all sorts of good nature and good fellowship. In 
my experience, a lot of men have bad theories, bad creeds, and 
yet are working out the problem in an extremely successful way, 
and men with all sorts of psychological theories are not putting 
the thing over. If I may indulge in a personality, Mr. DeWitt 
is a very bad psychologist, as he has just shown us, and yet he, 
himself, is a hundred times better than his creed. Compulsion 
in the Ford Company, so far as I can make out, is hardly com- 
pulsion at all. Those men are drawn to Mr. DeWitt as a class, 
and they don't realize the compulsion at all. [Applause.] 

Mr. A. C. HACKE, Service Manager, Ludlow Manufac- 
turing Associates, Ludlow, Mass. Evidently we are discuss- 
ing a question that goes from one extremity to the other: Those 
that are on company time, compulsory, and those that are en- 
tirely voluntary. The question I want to speak on is the one 
we tried to discuss here yesterday, about co-operating with school 
officials. We co-operated by depending on school officials to 
conduct the classes. W r e have tried to get reports from them, 
so as to establish a follow-up system to use in the plants. But 
it is a complete failure, so far as getting results is concerned, 
and we have considered a radical change for the classes this next 
year. My personal conviction is that we must have a personal 
follow-up. I believe from those who dropped out of the class 
last year, at least seventy-five per cent of them could have been 
kept in the classes if we had a system of following them up a day 
or two after they were absent, rather than six weeks later. Our 

89 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

plan is that we should have personal interviews and follow them 
up, and by that means keep their interest. 

Mr. BEATTY. I would like to take a minute and follow out 
the suggestion of Mr. Ashe on this matter of a fee returnable 
and non-returnable. Let us see how many charge a tuition fee 
of some kind in their school? Three. 

Of those three, how many have a returnable fee finally? Two. 
Evidently the other one has not. Hardly enough, of course, to 
be valuable. 

Mr. SCHULTZ. Another thing which we do that might be 
of interest. When the alien goes to the courts and pays his 
dollar, we refund it to him after he shows us his papers. After 
his final papers, we refund him his four-dollar fee, but wherever 
we can we give him, which is better, an American flag in place of 
the four dollars. 

Mr. CLARK. The time has arrived to pass on to the next 
subject. I would like to say a very brief word. I am very much 
interested, and a lot of fine things have been said. I think one 
of the best is what Mr. Shippen said. I heard a story the other 
day. One of our golf professionals, Aleck Campbell, had a club 
member who brought in a golf driver to him, and asked him 
to look it over, and the man said, "Aleck, can you drive with 
that driver?" And Campbell said, "No, I can't drive with that 
driver," and the man was rather disappointed, because he liked 
it, and he said, "Is it a good driver?" and Campbell said, "Can 
you drive with it?" and he said, "Yes." "Then," Campbell said, 
"it is a good driver." What I mean is this: There is the man 
who can do less with the best opportunities ever made, and also 
men who can do wonders with mighty poor ones, and it seems 
to me this subject is so big and so various, it has got to be handled 
from all sorts of angles. I don't want to be misunderstood. I 
believe in all our foreigners and their capacities and we can 
count on them. And while we have got all sorts of methods, 
and while one will work out in one place and one in another, we 
have got to vary the attack. 

I was talking with a friend from Beirut, Syria, who was there 
when Allenby came out, and I asked him what form of attack 
Allenby used, and he said every form. Now, take your case, 
Mr. DeWitt; you can use compulsion in the way your father 
used it, which made you revere him, and you, perhaps, with a 

90 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

broad, human personality, can use compulsion and get away 
with it in fine shape; but if another man used it, he might fall 
down so hard you would hear his teeth rattle. 

And just another thought — take the cathedrals in Europe, 
what are they built of? They are built of the stones of the coun- 
try, and we all have got to use the materials we have here, and 
I believe that that is the way in which this immensely im- 
portant subject may be made successful. It will depend on 
the personality of the man or woman making it, and there are 
just as many ways as there are people. I want to go on record 
as believing and trusting the people of this country, and broadly 
speaking, we can count on their intelligence and on their capacity 
to do vastly more than we think we can. I always believe what 
Abraham Lincoln said, that he had learned to love the soldier 
more than the general, because there were so many more of 
them. I think you will all agree we can trust them, but the 
method we can make a success is the method we can put over. 
[Applause.] 

Mr. VERMILLION. I have been criticised by our General 
Chairman for not having the question ready on which you are 
to vote. I am a little late and will accept his criticism, and pre- 
sent the resolution at this time: 

Resolved, That employees in industry should attend school 
on their own time without compensation. 

(Motion put to vote and carried two to one.) 

Mr. VERMILLION. Now, Mr. Chairman, if that question 
is settled, the Steering Committee has a resolution on that 
first paper: 

Resolved, That school attendance by employees of industry 
shall be voluntary. 

Mr. DeWITT. I would like to qualify that by adding "if 
willing to come.*' 

(Original motion was put and one hundred were in favor, 
and contrary-minded, eight.) 

Mr. CLARK. The next paper will be on the subject "What 
Part Should Industry Take in Naturalization Work?" written 
by Mr. Alvan Macauley, President of the Packard Motor Com- 
pany, of Detroit, and read by Mr. W. J. Schultz of the same 
company. [Applause.] 

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AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Mr. SCHULTZ. I think it would be well to announce that 
Mr. Macauley was one of the foremost of the large employers 
of labor to make a broad announcement of policy to a large body 
of workmen, which was done in 1916. 

"What part should Industry take in naturalization work?" 

The rapidly increasing interest in Americanization is a welcome 
sign of the times. Whether we consider it from the standpoint 
of economic or social betterment, or in its more limited aspects 
of naturalization, regulation of immigration, and the like, we 
cannot proceed very far without realizing that we are applying 
ourselves to probably the most vital problem confronting us 
nationally today, and that is the question of racial assimilation. 
And I think it is fundamental that we should at all times bear 
in mind that America, as we conceive it, is an entity, a standard 
as well as an ideal, and the starting-point for all our endeavors; 
and that the heart and soul of Americanization must consist 
in raising the stranger up to the measure of that standard and to 
the vision of that ideal, free from that point on to work out his 
own part in a common destiny. It does not consist in relaxing 
that standard in any degree in order to accommodate diversi- 
fied and diverging viewpoints on the theory of the "melting-pot." 

W T ell, then, accepting this as our working hypothesis, as it 
were, let me see if I can draw briefly upon the experience of the 
past few years and tell you how it has worked out in practical 
application. I am going to confine myself, for the most part, 
to conclusions drawn from what has been done by the Packard 
Motor Car Company, because I am naturally more familiar with 
the work there, and I think that probably, in a general way, 
our problem is fairly typical. 

When the European war broke out, in the summer of 1914, 
there was an immediate quickening of racial antipathies, a general 
rush to "take sides." Our attention was soon drawn to it, be- 
cause it affected working efficiency. If two good workmen, let us 
say, one a Frenchman and the other an Austrian, became unable 
to co-operate because of the war, then we were the chief sufferers. 
And the obvious thing for us to do was to bring out and empha- 
size what those two men did have in common, and that, of course, 
was America. But while theory may easily embrace the universal 
problem, the steps leading to even a partial and very local solu- 
tion are necessarily complicated and often perplexing. We found 

92 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

we had in our employ a large number of foreigners and aliens 
who were very indifferent to and showed little interest in our 
government or its ideals; who depreciated the obligations and 
privileges of American citizenship, the love of our flag, and 
showed little interest in learning to speak, read and write the 
English language. They were clannish, were largely influenced 
by their "padrones," were convinced that the culture of their 
mother country was superior to anything America had to offer, 
and were with us chiefly to lay up enough to return home in 
reasonable affluence. Now the foreign workman, especially 
from the central or northern states of Europe, is very often a 
superior craftsman, and well disciplined, and therefore, frequently 
deserving of promotion. 

No one can question the value of leading all foreigners among 
us to citizenship. This is so because to attain citizenship one 
must speak and write our language and be reasonably familiar 
with our national history, ideals and government. So we decided 
that if the opportunity to work in the Packard factories meant 
anything at all to a foreigner, he must demonstrate it by his 
willingness to take the first step toward acceptance of American 
standards. And accordingly, on January 31, 1916, we announced 
that "promotions to positions of importance in the organization 
of this company will be given only to those who are native-born 
or naturalized citizens of the United States, or to those of foreign 
birth who have relinquished their foreign citizenship, and who 
have filed with our Government their first papers, applying for 
citizenship, which applications must be diligently followed to 
completion. " We wanted to avoid scrupulously anything that 
might savor of a Mohammedan conversion, so we were careful 
to add, "Employees of foreign birth who retain their foreign 
citizenship will not be discriminated against in their present 
positions or work, but they will not be promoted to positions of 
responsibility and trust. A pre-requisite to employment by this 
Company must be loyalty to our Government and our flag, in 
addition to loyalty to the Company itself." 

And while I am referring to that announcement, let me add 
that its effects have been so satisfactory to us that three years 
later, on January 31, 1919, we supplemented it by this addi- 
tional clause: 

"Effective January 31, 1919, the following addition to this 

93 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

policy is announced: Every new employee must be a citizen of 
the United States, or must have filed, or be ready to file, the 
official Declaration of Intention to become a citizen. To retain 
his position, he must become naturalized as soon as he possibly 
can.*' That is the cornerstone of our employment policy today. 

The adoption of what we have always termed our "Americans 
First" policy immediately brought us face to face with the 
technical processes and requirements of naturalization. We 
discovered first of all that we should undoubtedly have to take 
a large part in the work of preparing employees to meet the 
legal requirements, because even as recently as 1916 there was 
very little organized community effort to facilitate the would-be 
citizen's task. And we also discovered that it is very, very hard 
for the non-English-speaking alien to become qualified for citi- 
zenship. Not that the requirements are excessive — I am far 
from advocating that they should be relaxed in any particular. 
But learning English is very, very hard for a man of mature 
years, without very much education to start with, whose mental 
processes are surrounded, so to speak, by a foreign tongue. 
English is, I suppose, a hard language to learn at best. And 
when we consider that learning to speak in English means 
learning to think in English, the task of an adult alien, in the 
present state of assimilation, or un-assimilation if you will, in 
which most of our foreign residents live and move and have their 
being, is extremely difficult. 

After they have learned to speak English, the naturalization 
process is simple enough, because then they become American- 
ized through their daily contacts and almost without knowing it. 
But we have seen instance after instance where a foreign em- 
ployee, finding himself limited in his opportunities, limited in 
his earning capacity, by his inability to speak English, pressed 
by his children, and urged by his foreman to become a citizen, 
has attended the public school classes for alien adults appar- 
ently without any benefit at all. Obviously, what such a man 
needs is to live among English-speaking people, break away 
from the environment which he is supposed to have left behind 
him when he comes to our shores. Only thus can his assimilation 
be facilitated, so that he may accomplish for himself what the 
schools have so far failed to accomplish for him. 

When we stop to consider how miserably inadequate have been 

94 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

the training, education and traditions of thousands of our foreign- 
born, how woefully ignorant they have been of what America 
is and what it stands for, how they have been the prey of steam- 
ship ticket seller, money changer and employment agent, we 
begin to see that a great deal more than naturalization is neces- 
sary to make Americans out of them. 

Now we say to them, you cannot be promoted unless you be- 
come citizens; we will pay your naturalization fees for you; 
we will pay your wages while you are attending the naturaliza- 
tion courts; we will make the filing of papers as simple and 
understandable as we can; we will assist you to enroll in the 
schools for instruction in English, and guide and assist you in 
your progress. Thus far we are able to appeal to their self- 
interest, their hope of reward or expectation of benefits; and 
I need not tell you that the response from hundreds whom we 
have aided in this way has shown quite conclusively that there 
is a decided and earnest desire among our foreign-born to become 
citizens. I don't know how much further we can go along this 
line. To the extent that our employees do not respond to these 
efforts, we from our industrial position should logically continue 
to assist them, because it is equally to our own advantage that 
we should do so. But I want to take you a step farther, in order 
to impress on you that the question of naturalization, important 
as it is, can really only be considered as one element in the general 
Americanization movement. 

As our "Americans First" requirements have become under- 
stood, hundreds of foreigners who did not respond to our edu- 
cational endeavors have dropped out — to become, I suppose, 
problems in Americanization for some other employer. Last 
winter, before we decided to discontinue employing aliens who 
had not filed their first papers, we took a census of our factories 
at Detroit, and found that we had on our rolls only eight hundred 
in a force of about twelve thousand who came within that 
classification. In other words, in proportion as we have empha- 
sized our preference for the American idea, if I may so term it, 
our employment has apparently become more congenial to the 
better class of workingmen, who are naturally in hearty accord 
with our efforts. We went through the period of war contracts 
without disturbances, sabotage, or untoward incidents of any 
kind; and in every way all of us feel that we are very much 

95 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

better off for having decided three and a half years ago that 
industry, so far as we were concerned, at any rate, could and 
should play an effective part in promoting naturalization. 

Now, what remains to be done? 

As I see it, there must be more effective co-ordination than 
now exists between the various Government departments which 
are responsible for the several activities leading up to full natural- 
ization. There should be better organized school facilities for 
the English education of foreign-speaking employees. There 
should be less confusion of tongues among volunteer organiza- 
tions which have been established in every city to further the 
work. Above all, there should be a clearer recognition of the 
fact that while the employer's function necessarily ceases, or 
practically so, upon the completion of naturalization, he has 
almost left untouched the greater problem of a more complete 
assimilation of the foreign-born — a task with which every one 
of us, individually and in his community life, may well concern 
himself. [Applause.] 

Mr. CLARK. The next paper, "Citizenship in Industry," 
will be presented by Mr. E. E. Bohner, Industrial Service Secre- 
tary, Associated Industries of Massachusetts, Springfield, Mass. 
[Applause.] 

Mr. E. E. BOHNER. The war has had a great effect on the 
whole question of naturalization and citizenship, as previous 
speakers in this Conference have indicated. The flame of alle- 
giance has been fanned at times to a white heat. War conditions 
made it necessary before employing a man to be certain of his 
allegiance. The spirit of patriotism fanned by the war awak- 
ened in many aliens a desire to become American citizens. 
Wherever the question of citizenship was presented and facilities 
for taking out naturalization papers offered, large numbers of 
aliens have availed themselves of the privilege. In several 
industrial plants where well-organized citizenship campaigns 
were undertaken, a large precentage of the aliens in the plant 
desired citizenship. The industries referred to are right here 
in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. 

A prominent American citizen of alien birth recently said in 
an address, "Our goal should be a free, intelligent, co-operating 
citizenship." Plainly if we are to realize this goal and keep this 
great program of Americanization sane, it will be necessary for 

96 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

all workers to change the emphasis from merely taking out 
papers to that of intelligent citizenship. A man should never 
be compelled to become an American citizen. Rather, American 
life and ideals should win these men to a desire to become citizens 
of this country. For this reason employment should never be 
conditioned on whether or not a man has his first or second 
papers. 

It is morally wrong to compel a man to take his citizenship 
papers. It will require a long and tedious process of education 
to prepare large numbers of aliens in this country for the duties 
of citizenship. Many of these men will never be able to over- 
come the lack of early education in the homeland. If we provide 
facilities they may learn to speak English. They certainly should 
never be required to take out citizenship papers until they have 
learned our language and become familiar with our best customs. 
Any movement, whether by municipalities or industries, which 
forces men to take out citizenship papers or lose their jobs, does 
an injustice both to the individual man and to this great country. 
It is a sad criterion on our misguided efforts at Americanization 
if aliens appear for work in construction camps and confuse their 
vaccination certificates with their naturalization papers. 

Accessions to our citizenship and electorate should be made 
on the basis of quality rather than quantity. [Applause.] My 
practical and most important objection to the position taken 
by the firm which the previous speaker represents, namely, 
making citizenship a condition of employment, is that we cannot 
live up to it. In a year of plentiful labor, it is easy enough to 
say that only American citizens will be employed. Every worker 
present knows that industry could not live up to this rule in a 
time of labor shortage. 

A School for Citizenship in Every Massachusetts 
Community 

How can we expect that aliens qualify for citizenship in the 
highest sense of the term, if they have never had opportunities 
for learning what American citizenship involves? A survey of 
the state of Massachusetts reveals the fact that there are less 
than a dozen well-organized schools for the training of future 
citizens being conducted. 

The obligation to provide such a school rests primarily with the 

97 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

community, because the school is recruited from all of the indus- 
tries in the vicinity. There are communities that have not awak- 
ened to the responsibility for providing such a school. Where 
there is a lack of vision in the community, it seems to me the 
individual industry should immediately provide these facilities. 
The school for citizenship should include a first-class course of, 
at least, ten lessons in history, government and privileges and 
duties of citizenship. The laboratory element is essential and 
should include illustrated talks, visits to the city hall, public 
library, state house, and other important points. No enroll- 
ment charge should be made for the school. The teacher should 
be the finest type of American man in the community. Such a 
school should center in an accessible place known to all. The 
organized schools in Massachusetts are meeting in public school 
buildings, Young Men's Christian Associations, City Halls. 
Chambers of Commerce and in industries. 

Industry can greatly facilitate this important educational work, 
but to do so industry must know the exact conditions that prevail 
within itself. Every industry should have exact statistics 
showing what nationalities are employed, the literacy of its 
employees and whether or not aliens have first or second papers, 
and when such citizenship papers were taken out, how many 
non-citizens desire citizenship. In my experience in over one 
hundred industries in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, where 
more than ten thousand men were helped in taking out their 
first or second papers, a card like this proved helpful in taking 
the census: 



Name 



Date 



Home Address 



Nationality 



Age 



Sex 



Single Married Widower 



No. in Family 



Employed 




Dept. 


Occupation 




Foreman 


Arrived in U. S. A. 




Date of first papers 


Arrived in Mass. 




Date of final papers 


English: Speak 


Read 


Write School ? 


Other languages 




Citizenship class? 


Remarks 







AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

A great deal of discretion must be used in securing this infor- 
mation. The foreman is the key man in promoting the work. 
It is important that the foreman be taken into full confidence at 
the start. At least one, preferably a series of meetings, should be 
held where foremen and subforemen will have presented to them 
the process of naturalization, and where many of the difficulties 
and red tape involved are explained. The item of expense in 
taking out papers is often a revelation. Much of this red tape 
and expense can be eliminated providing the movement is under- 
taken by prominent, earnest people. In one instance it was 
found that men had to travel a long distance to the court — lose 
several days of time from their work, and pay the expenses of 
witnesses — the total cost for the papers being $49.50. How 
many of us would be interested in taking out our citizenship 
papers at so great expense of time and money? Sometimes the 
court is sufficiently interested to provide extra sittings at conven- 
ient places. Occasionally, judges will provide an extra evening 
session of the court. 

It is my firm conviction that an industry should never pay the 
naturalization fee of these men. If aliens are not willing or 
sufficiently interested to pay their naturalization fee, they 
should never become citizens. Many industries have helped by 
allowing the candidate to visit the court without loss of pay. 
Many foremen and workers have been glad to serve as witnesses 
for their fellow- workers. This is a great improvement over 
conditions as they used to be, where many of the witnesses were 
saloon keepers or ward politicians. 

The process of naturalization and qualification for citizenship 
should be made the subject of addresses in group meetings and 
mass meetings. These themes command the interest of any 
group of foreign-speaking people. Every alien should be given 
the privilege to ask questions in such meetings. There is every- 
thing to be gained by a frank, open discussion of this whole ques- 
tion. Interpreters may be used to good advantage in such meet- 
ings. The speaker should be thoroughly familiar with the whole 
process and can use a blackboard to very good advantage. 

The recruiting process for schools in citizenship is quite simple. 
Students may be drawn from two main sources. The definite 
field for students is the posted record of the court. Every natu- 
ralization court has posted in a convenient place the names, 

99 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

addresses, nationality, date of arrival, names of witnesses, etc., 
of all persons applying for their full papers. This list must be 
posted ninety days before the sitting of the court. Our obligation 
to provide some training for these men is definite and cannot 
be side-stepped. A friendly letter written to these men stating 
clearly the place, time, content and leadership of the course, 
will bring a wholesome response. In every court there is avail- 
able the list of names and addresses of men who have declared 
their intention to become citizens. Most of these men can be 
considered candidates for a school for citizenship. Another 
fruitful source of supply for citizenship schools is to be found in 
the English classes that are being conducted in the community 
and industries. 

We should have a very high regard for the individual in this 
work. Every alien has had his own peculiar background, train- 
ing and experiences in this country. All of these determine his 
attitude toward and interest in this question of citizenship. 
We should try to meet his individual problems and answer his 
questions very frankly. This is not easy to do, and often leads 
to some embarrassment, especially if we are to account for many 
of our shortcomings. 

It may be of interest to all of you to know that we have here 
in Massachusetts a very fine course in civics, which is furnished 
free by the Department of University Extension, State Board of 
Education. This course, in the hands of an able teacher familiar 
with difficulties, is sure to prove a great asset. Such a course 
could be adapted to meet the needs in any part of the country. 
The alien fears most of all the final appearance in court when the 
examination is given. We should aim to develop confidence for 
this ordeal. A mock naturalization court, coming near the end 
of the course, proves most helpful. 

It has been found advisable in such courses to stress during 
the early lessons the general thought of just what the government 
does for its citizens. Students in the school can be led to develop 
with great definiteness the many important things the govern- 
ment does for its citizens. The thought of what the citizen 
should do for his country can be stressed during the last four 
lessons. 

Every course in citizenship should lead up to a climax which 
should take the form of a welcome to new citizens. [Applause.] 

100 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Prominent Americans should be present and speak and the new 
citizens should be given opportunity to state what American 
citizenship means to them. [Applause.] 

We have never found a group of new citizens who did not 
appreciate the meaning of John Greenleaf Whittier's words 
expressed in the poem, "The Poor Voter on Election Day": 

The proudest now is but my peer, 

The highest not more high, 
Today of all the weary year 

A king of men am I. 
Today, alike, are great and small, 

The nameless and the known, 
My palace is the people's hall, 

The ballot box my throne. 

While there's a grief to seek redress, 

Or balance to adjust, 
Where weighs our living manhood less 

Than Mammon's vilest dust; 
While there's a right to need my vote, 

A wrong to sweep away, 
Up ! clouted knee and ragged coat ! 

A man's a man today! 

Mr. CLARK. The meeting is now open for discussion, and 
the form in which the resolution is put is as follows: 

Resolved, That we are opposed to naturalization being made 
a condition of employment. 

Mr. CARL K. GIESSE, National Carbon Company, 
Cleveland, Ohio. The last two papers certainly have touched 
the point of naturalization to the tooth. On the first paper, I 
just want to make one remark. It is against the law to pay a 
fee for naturalization by anybody else but the applicant. We 
don't do that, but we do pay for the man's time that he is required 
to be down at the court to file his application . 

Just in brief, I want to outline how we handle the problem. 
We take a census once a year of the facts concerning our alien 
employees. Then we go to it and follow up those facts, have a 
personal interview with each man who is foreign-born, and ex- 
plain to him in his own language the privileges of citizenship, 
the advantages, the responsibilities and the duties. Then we 
have no trouble in getting the man to take out his first papers. 

101 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

The last census, the first of March of this year, we found 
only three hundred employees had taken out their first papers. 
After a personal interview with every one of them last week 
we took another census, and we found there were only twenty- 
five who had not taken out their first papers, and out of the 
twenty-five, sixteen were willing to take them out, and are 
going to take them out as soon as I get back. Nine refused. 
Those nine will not be compelled in any way, shape, or form, but 
they will be kept from being promoted on jobs where we feel 
citizens should be. They are also required to pay an alien income 
tax of eight per cent. 

Mr. L. B. BACON, The Upson Nut Company, Cleveland, 
Ohio. We have two plants. We get in touch with the foremen 
and arrange for meetings in the departments, have foreign 
speakers, the object being to give an idea of the privileges of 
becoming a citizen, and not an idea that he must become a citizen 
in order to hold his job. That work is carried on every meeting 
by a personal interview. The result is as follows : From January 
1 to June 20 of this year, in the Nut and Bolt Works, of 1,071 
employees, in January 393 were aliens; on June 20, 199 had 
taken out their first papers. In the other mill of 1,043 employees, 
with 398 aliens, on June 20, 258 had taken out their first papers. 

That was a preliminary step. This is all more or less psycho- 
logical, our idea being that we wished to convey to the men that 
it was a privilege they had, that we had neglected to put the 
matter before them before this time, and we didn't intend to 
force them now. We further procured all the papers necessary, 
handed them to the men in the meetings, asked them to come 
up to the office for assistance in making them out, and arranged 
for a day to be set aside in court, when groups could come up 
to sign their papers. [Applause.] 

Mr. ALVIN E. GILLETT, Chase Companies, Waterbury, 
Conn. We have had seventy-five classes a month in our plant, 
all taught by volunteer teachers from the plant, all on the men's 
own time, not necessarily advocating that that is the way to 
do it, but that is our way, and we have between twelve and 
thirteen hundred men a month in attendance. This is a prelim- 
inary step in naturalization. We feel they should not only be 
taught and be interviewed personally, but also that American- 
ization talks should be held in the plant. In this group of men 

102 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

right here, if we were to ask you to tell the principal events of 
American history, how many of you could do it? I doubt if 
many of you could. I have been working along that idea, starting 
in with the discovery of America, what America stands for, 
what the big men have stood for — Washington, Lincoln, Edison 
and others, and our speakers have been very much like the 
"Four-Minute Men," who have done a great deal of this talking. 

We see that the men come up and we fill out their papers for 
them. If we have a certain number that are willing to have their 
papers made out, we send out word that at a certain time they 
are to come up to the employment department, and we will fill 
out their papers. We tell them that, and we appoint a certain 
night; we meet them there, the clerk of the court meets with 
us, and makes it all as simple as possible. One hundred or one 
hundred and fifty a month have come up. 

W T e also go through the plant and find out how many would 
like to take out papers. We not only tell them they can come 
at a certain time, but w r e have the papers there and we make 
it as easy as possible for them to do it. There is not any 
compulsion. 

Mr. EUGENE R. SHIPPEN, War Camp Community 
Service, New York. I think we want to insist on this as an 
educational process rather than a legal process. I would like to 
quote a few sentences from an article by Professor H. P. Fair- 
child, formerly of Yale University, on "Naturalization in the 
Spotlight of War.": 

The act of naturalization is not a developmental experience 
or process, but merely the registry of a change of status. Any 
transformations in the character of the individual which are 
regarded as essential to fitness for citizenship should have 
taken place before naturalization. The act of naturalization 
will not produce them, nor is there any adequate ground for 
assuming that they will generally follow the act. (The writer 
goes on to say that a foreigner who is dangerous as an alien 
does not become less so as a naturalized citizen.) 

On the contrary, he is in a position to do much greater harm, 
because of the new powers and opportunities which naturali- 
zation confers, and because of the new confidence and trust 
which he enjoys through his citizenship. . . . Urging citizen- 
ship upon the alien must inevitably produce an attitude of 
mind exactly the opposite from that which would make him a 
useful citizen. 

103 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

This is perhaps a conservative attitude, but the author sounds 
a note of warning to which we may well give heed. I think we 
shall agree with him that we must fit the alien for citizenship 
rather than stress the importance of his first papers. By the 
way, one of the best Americanization programs aiming to make 
good citizens, interested in community and nation, is that of 
the City History Club of New York, which has the unqualified 
endorsement of-;President Wilson. It involves a sort of labora- 
tory method, visiting places of historic interest rather than 
reading about them. Copies of that program may be obtained 
upon application at 105 West 40th Street, New York City. 

Mr. CHARLES J. SIMEON, Morgan Construction Com- 
pany, Worcester, Mass. I am in a very anomalous position. 
I am in charge of Americanization in my factory, but I am a 
British subject. In spite of that, I am thoroughly in sympathy 
with the movement, because, first of all the principal benefit of 
the movement is education. The particular point I want to 
make is this: I think, gentlemen, you are going to make a terrible 
mistake if you try to do anything to compel men to become citi- 
zens, whether that compulsion is direct, or whether it is indirect 
in any way. 

We have heard a lot about hyphenated Americans in the last 
few years. That is what you are going to make. To me, citi- 
zenship is the most sacred thing I own. To me, the changing 
of my citizenship, although I am contemplating it, is the most 
serious step I have ever taken — the only one that compares with it 
is marriage, which step I took a few years ago. I say that in all 
seriousness. That was the most serious step I had taken up to 
then, and this is the next. I am not going to do it until I know 
I want to be an American, and I am not going to do it until I 
know it is a fact. 

The reason is because the question of Americanization came up 
after I had taken my position, and when it came up I offered to 
resign my position, as it would be anomalous for me to carry 
it on. I also said I didn't want to be an American because I was 
forced to. You can't become an American over night. It is not 
like changing a suit of clothes. You have got to feel it, and be it, 
and if you force these foreigners, who don't understand what 
it is to be an American, you are simply cutting your own throats. 
[Applause.] 

104 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Mr. A. G. WARREN, Supervisor, American Steel and 
Wire Company, Worcester, Mass. The American Steel and 
Wire Company have not seen the wisdom of using any compul- 
sion towards driving the alien employees toward Americanism, 
neither is it doing so in its English classes; but we do feel if we 
can prescribe for the men instruction which will show them what 
our attitude is, the rest, including Americanization, will be easy. 
The attitude we are trying to convey to the men is this: That 
these classes are "opportunity classes." In fact, as perhaps you 
know, Dr. Wirt, school superintendent of Gary, Ind., has sug- 
gested that name. They are opportunity classes, and we are 
trying to have the men see they are, and realize the difference 
between opportunity and freedom. Those men come to us from 
their own country. They have heard that America is the one 
country they want to come to. They have heard there are 
opportunities in America. The opportunities do exist here for 
them, but not until they are free to take advantage of them. 
It is not possible for the alien to be a free man in America until 
he knows the language, and something of America. That is 
what we are aiming at and trying to do, with a fair measure of 
success, and we keep away from the idea of compulsion in any 
form. [Applause.] 

Mr. M. B. IRISH, Fall River Immigrant Committee, 
Fall River, Mass. We have heard this subject discussed from 
different points, but the one thing that struck me was that 
a man of Professor Fairchild's standing should bring out the 
point there was more danger in having a man a citizen than 
otherwise. That, I believe, is a very vital point, and is something 
which Mr. Bohner has covered in his remarks. Dr. Faunce, of 
Brown University, has interpreted it, I think the best of any 
man I have ever heard. He brought out the point that citizen- 
ship was freedom under the law. It. was the spirit rather than 
anything else, and he illustrated it in this manner. He spoke 
of the statue of Lincoln, where he is sitting on the bench. Per- 
haps some of you have seen it, or seen a cut of it. Going up 
through the park on his way to work was a Russian who could 
not speak the English language. One day his little girl was 
walking along with him. She attended the public school and 
she stopped and began to point out and explain to him about 
Lincoln, about what he. had done for the country, and what his 

105 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

life had been, and the old fellow stood there and looked at it — 
looked at the man and looked down at the little girl. Pretty 
soon the tears began to stream down his cheeks, and he picked 
the girl up and sat her on the knee of Lincoln, and the little 
girl kissed the cheek of Lincoln. Dr. Faunce said, "That is 
citizenship." The Russian had not applied for his papers, had 
not learned the English language. That is the secret of the 
whole thing, and that is one reason why we should avoid any- 
thing of a compulsory nature. It would be a crime. 

Mr. CLARK. I think we should give our attention to the 
last paper of the morning. 

Mr. W. J. SCHULTZ. I would like to say a word in defence 
of the paper read by me. We carefully went over this ground 
before we announced our policies. We placed ourselves in the 
shoes of the true alien intending to become a real American, 
and everything we have done was in his favor, and is in his 
favor today. It is not in the spirit of compulsion, as has been 
interpreted here by some, but after a certain length of time 
has elapsed we provide all the facilities that have been men- 
tioned here, and assist him in every way. We believe that after 
a period of years, six, seven, eight or nine or ten years, that a 
man has been here, and shows no inclination or loyalty to our 
government, to our flag, or our company, it is time that we 
stop his promotion. When we made a survey of our plant, we 
found many of our men working with us over ten years, experi- 
enced men, who were not citizens. What we had in mind was 
to limit promotion to those showing their intention to be true 
Americans. I think we have true loyalty in the Packard plant 
today. 

The spirit and aid we get from the employees in working out 
the policies is right with us in the plant; and as for paying the 
fee, that is refunded after he has carried out all of his obligations 
in his citizenship papers. That has been taken up with the 
court and the court approved our refunding it. We found it 
was a tremendous amount of money that the alien had to pay 
to become a citizen. He could not afford it, and we have tried 
to remove that difficulty as far as possible. 

Mr. CLARK. I am so unfortunate as to have to go on the 
train at 12:20, to meet an engagement in Boston, but before 
T go I must say just one word, and that is this: If there is 

106 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

anything that would give me greater confidence — and I have 
very great confidence — that our country is going to meet this 
question of Americanization aright — it would be the privilege of 
being here this morning. The two essential qualities by which 
to do this are imagination and humanity. 

The toad beneath the harrow knows 

Exactly where each tooth-print goes. 

The butterfly flitting by the road 

Preaches contentment to the toad. 

The Arab has his proverb : "The camel-driver has his thoughts, 
and so does the camel,'* and we all want to be camels today. 
[Applause.] 

Just another word. Unless we do see the thought from every 
other man's point of view, we know not what he is capable of. 
And then I never forget that we have forty races in this country, 
and each has its own special contribution to make to the life 
of our nation, and each can make it better than the other. 
We are all foreigners except the American Indian, and he is 
mostly dead. I can learn so much from them because they 
know so much more than I can ever know, and I take great 
heart from a meeting of this character because I believe it shows 
we have got hold of the right end. 

We all look a good deal alike, but as a matter of fact we are 
quite different. I don't want to appear frivolous, but I will 
relate another story illustrative of that: A man brought some 
trained fleas to Windsor Castle and showed them to the little 
princess, and when he was ready to take them away, he found 
one was missing. Everyone joined in the search, and finally a 
flea was brought to him, and of course he was overjoyed at the 
thought of the return of his flea, but on looking at it, he said: 
"I am awful sorry, but that is not my flea." It is a human 
story, and the thrill of humanity is what does it in the end. We 
look alike, but we are all different, and I suppose we meet all 
things differently. [Applause.] 

Mr. VERMILLION. I would like to offer a motion at this 
time: That this conference express its appreciation of the 
presence of Mr. Clark as our presiding officer this morning, and 
the splendid message he has given us. [Applause.] 

Mr. CLARK. I certainly have loved to be here, ladies and 
gentlemen, every minute of it. I thank you. 

107 






AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

(Mr. Quimby assumed the chair.) 

The resolution on the last paper not having been voted upon, 
it was read again by Mr. Quimby: 

Resolved, That we are opposed to naturalization being made 
a condition of employment. 

Mr. Shippen raised the point that the resolution was in a 
negative form rather than the affirmative. He was asked to 
state it affirmatively, which he did as follows: 

"That we approve making naturalization a condition of 
employment." 

The resolution was voted upon as origirially presented, and 
unanimously carried. 

Mr. QUIMBY. The last paper of the morning will now 
be given to us by Mr. T. A. Levy, Chairman Americanization 
Committee, Chamber of Commerce, Syracuse, N. Y. He will 
present the vital subject, "Utilization of Foreign Groups and 
Leaders in Industrial Americanization." 

Mr. LEVY. As the last speaker of the morning session, and 
I presume the final speaker, according to our program, I wish 
to say that I think the Conference has reached a spirit of una- 
nimity which is quite remarkable. I feel like Lincoln when he 
was driving through the West, when a very beautiful woman said 
to him: "You are the homeliest man I ever saw." He said, "I am 
not to blame." And she said, "You could have at least stayed 
at home." And I feel that I ought to have stayed at home. 

I feel that Americanization is in danger of materialization on 
the one hand and sentimentalism on the other, and so see the 
need of getting at this problem from a good standpoint. I cer- 
tainly look at it from personal practical experience, and don't 
think you will charge me with being idealistic about it, because 
I think the problem of Americanization is fundamentally most 
important, and I think this is largely a question of attitude of 
mind, and because no two plants do the same thing in the same 
way does not mean it is not the right way to do it. 

The Factory School 

We are living in the most marvelous era of American policies. 
A new spirit is abroad in the land, transforming — transmitting 
the old selfish, materialistic America. 

108 






AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Americanization is a sure sign of a people awakened to its 
responsibilities. The watchword of the new age is duties, not 
rights, not what we may demand from the foreigner, but what 
we owe the men of other lands. This decade marks the won- 
drous change from the dogma that the foreigner was a liability. 
Now we realize that he is a boundless asset to the nation. 

Until the last decade, America was almost brutal in dealing 
with those modern pioneers. They were placed at unguarded 
machinery and in the deathly sweat-shop. They were made to 
work long hours under dark conditions. Selfish men were al- 
lowed to exploit them. They dwelt in unsanitary homes in 
neglected districts. While their children were cared for in the 
noblest institution of democracy — the school — their own educa- 
tion and welfare was often a matter of cynical indifference to 
employer and state. The corrupt politician, the agitator, the 
demagogue, alone interested themselves in them, while the good 
citizen and their employers knew them not. There was no 
genuine help to tide them over the difficulties of their pathetic 
position in the new land. 

Is it strange that the newcomers did not see the best side of 
America, that they did not know the real American; that to 
them it was a mercenary land, where money meant more than 
health and life? 

Is it strange that their love of music, of garden, of art, ebbed 
in the struggle with poverty and adverse conditions? Not the 
lack, but the amount of Americanization that existed among 
them under the old conditions, is a matter of wonder. 

But the true America, with its standard of brotherhood and 
democracy for all the peoples of the earth, is fast coming, and this 
is bringing the gospel of a broader brotherhood within the land. 
The old walls of prejudice, ignorance, fear and selfishness are 
breaking down. Instead, bridges are being built, old hostilities 
are submerged, and a better understanding is coming. With 
marvelous rapidity, the immigrant welcomes the new America, 
the hand of sympathy. As soon as he is convinced that there 
is real genuine brotherliness, he readily forgets the old slights 
and is generally eager and proud to do his part in meeting the 
issues of the hour. 

The factory class has already passed the experimental state, 
and is increasingly becoming a vital agency in Americanization. 

109 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

It is a wholesome sign of the times. Industry on the whole now 
fairly realizes the need of a sympathetic attitude toward the 
foreign-born workman. It understands that the influence of the 
radical and demagogue is in inverse proportion to the interest 
shown by the employer in the welfare of the employee. 

The average foreign adults do not find the night school con- 
venient. Tired from the day's work, it overtasks all but the 
very ambitious, and fails in the main to meet the needs of the 
many. The factory, however, is a place where there is a natural 
group ready for school. There is no break in going from the fac- 
tory to the factory school, as there is between the daily life of the 
foreigners and the night school. The factory school also is a 
bridge that makes for a better understanding between em- 
ployers and employees. In this matter at least both can work 
in full harmony for a common purpose. When the workmen 
realize that their employers are interested in their welfare — 
in something beyond their employment, and when the employers 
see that their employees are interested in bettering themselves, 
in learning the English language and becoming attuned to the 
spirit of our Government — a common understanding is estab- 
lished, the way to further co-operation becomes a clear highway. 

The methods of promoting the success of the factory school 
are of vital consequence. The question of paying the employee 
while attending school is a matter of more than technical conse- 
quence; it is of fundamental moment. 

The education of the foreigner is a civic and state matter. 
The employer as employer is only indirectly interested in Ameri- 
canization. The interest of the state transcends that of the 
employer and employee. If any one should pay for the educa- 
tion of the adult stranger, it should be the state, because the state 
is the main party concerned. Next to the state, it is of larger 
consequence to the foreigner. He reaps the full reward in the 
larger outlook and the better opportunities for the advance- 
ment, in learning to safeguard himself from injury in his employ- 
ment, and, above all, it affords him a chance to enter the priceless 
heritage of the political privileges of American citizenship. 

To pay the employee to learn English is poor philosophy and 
still poorer practice. It leads the benefitted to believe that it is 
of primary value to the employer that the employee should learn 
English and civics. It gives a perverted impression, for it leads 

110 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

to the false view that there is some ulterior motive in the conduct 
of the employer. 

Then if the employer pays for the education of the employee, 
it gives him too much power in controlling the teacher and 
methods of instruction. Education being a state process, it is 
just as unwise to permit industry to control the training of the 
adults as it would be to control the education of their children. 

Education is a matter of too much concern to their general 
welfare to permit it to be under the control, material supervision, 
or administration of any private agency. 

Then, too, it is unwise to pay a man to learn the language of 
the land and the laws of the land. It is too much like bribing 
him to do that which he ought to do of his own free will. Every 
opportunity should be given the foreigner to learn. The way 
should be made easy, but we should not get on our hands and 
knees to beguile him to do that which he should do through his 
own initiative. No one should be forced to do this. A good 
citizen cannot be made through such a process. Americanization 
should be guarded from materialism on the one hand and from 
sentimentalism on the other hand. 

But, above all, it is unnecessary to pay the foreigner to attend 
night school. In Syracuse, and in other cities where it has been 
tried, there is no difficulty at all in getting him into the factory 
school. He is ready to go where he understands the spirit that 
prompts the suggestion. The man who goes to the factory school 
because his desire to go has been awakened, because his heart 
prompts him to do so, is much more likely to become the kind 
of an American citizen that is needed, than one who is coaxed 
and cuddled and led on by mercenary motives. 

It is better that each should give something to American- 
ization. Let the employer give a suitable room in his factory 
and his sympathetic approval. Let the community furnish a 
competent teacher, and let the men and women of foreign birth 
give their own time in attending the factory schools. This makes 
the school as it ought to be, a partnership process in which the 
three factors mainly concerned should join in a spirit of amity 
to solve a perplexing problem of American statesmanship. 

Each will give something to the school, and in the end each 
will receive a rich return in a better citizenship, in a higher 
conception of mutual duties and responsibilities, in a spirit of 

Ui 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

peace and co-operation that will make America increasingly the 
home of an industrial democracy that will be ready to face every 
storm that may test its integrity. 

The fact that stood out boldty in America's treatment of its 
foreign-born peoples, until within a few years, was its neglect of 
them. A second fact of equal prominence is found in the readi- 
ness of our foreign peoples to be a constructive force of great 
value in Americanization. For three years the city of Syracuse 
has worked out a method of utilizing the best reservoir of power 
that was theretofore latent among its alien people. Syracuse 
found that when foreign leaders and foreign groups were given 
a chance to establish night schools, to have patriotic mass 
meetings, lectures and talks on American ideals, to participate 
in parades and pageants, to stimulate a high type of citizenship, 
to aid in all kinds of war work, to work side by side with the 
native citizens in all matters of civic welfare, they responded 
with the marvelous avidity rivaling that of the native citizenship. 
Whatever success the city of Syracuse has had in bringing about 
a better understanding between its various peoples, both native 
and foreign-born, has been due in a large measure to the splendid 
work of its men and women who were born across the sea. 

In every movement to make the city a better place to live in, 
they have been an integral factor, working side by side as part- 
ners with their brother native citizens for the making of a better 
community. 

Syracuse has likewise utilized the foreign leaders and foreign 
groups in the factory class. Instead of having a factory class 
initiated by the manufacturers, a committee of intelligent for- 
eigners in each plant was requested to test the sentiment among 
the foreign workmen, by asking them to sign a petition, request- 
ing the manufacturer and the Board of Education to establish 
a night school. This was followed by a meeting at which the 
plan of factory school was explained to the workmen. Thus, 
the interest of the men of foreign birth was awakened in the" 
school. The result in every case has been very gratifying. 

There is no doubt that the factory school should generally 
make no distinction by having separate classes of different 
groups. As the men work together in the plant, they should go 
to school together, regardless of national affiliation. There are, 
doubtless, cases* where it might be advisable to- recognize^ the- 

U2r 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

group instinct, and better results might be obtained at first by- 
having such classes separate. 

The group instinct is an existing fact of vital moment. It is 
a natural phenomenon. It should be utilized, however, for proper 
purposes, as it may be, in Americanization. Then the group 
instinct becomes a valuable asset. It becomes a useful vehicle 
in the teaching of English, of civics, of citizenship. 

Force is never desirable in education, unless as a last resort. 
To awaken a desire to learn within is founded on good principles 
of psychology, as well as statesmanship. If we appeal to the deep 
and latent love of our foreign peoples, who, despite persecution 
in their own lands, still love the mother countries, if we can 
change this affection into a loyalty for the new home, by showing 
them that America is worthy of their highest consecration of 
spirit, then we shall reap reward of a natural, growing, deep- 
seated, unshaken love for the new flag and land that no storm 
shall shake nor tempest disturb. 

The more the factory school gets the general co-operation of 
the foreign men within the plant, the better the school will 
prove to be. From the very beginning, the aid and counsel of 
the foreign leaders should be sought, and every step forward 
should be met with their sanction. All men love to act, and what 
they work for themselves, they value correspondingly. No one 
can take as much pride in the garden of another as in the plot 
one tills and guards to fruition. So the school that comes as a 
response to the desire of the foreign workman within the factory 
will be more sturdy, and it will be more a matter of pride to the 
men of the factory than one nurtured by the plant. 

It is better to have a stumbling school in which the workmen 
are an integral part in its origin and management than a more 
perfect school conducted alone by the employer on efficiency 
lines. A school is more an organism than a machine. The spirit 
of a school is of larger consequence than perfect methods and 
technique. A true citizenship is a growth from within. It cannot 
be imposed from without. To get the best results in the factory 
schools, there must be a genuine co-ordination between industry 
and workmen. Wise, tactful, patient and sympathetic super- 
vision by the employer is indispensable. No school will last 
long without the genuine interest of the hirer of labor. On the 
other hand, the equal genuine interest of • the pupils -must be 

m 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

appealed to and maintained. A good school is a partnership 
where employer, employee and teacher are in accord. All work- 
ing together can make the factory school a success, a force and a 
factor in Americanization of the highest value, an agency potent 
in its possibilities. For the factory school, perhaps more than 
any other single factor, may bring about the day when every 
man and woman in industry may become an American in spirit, 
loyal through an intelligent understanding of the resistless 
purposes of democracy. [Applause.] 

Mr. QUIMBY. Mr. Levy, you have our thanks. 

Mr. BOHNER. There being important business outside, I 
move we dispense with the discussion of this paper until the 
afternoon session. 

(Motion seconded and carried.) 

After several announcements, the morning session was declared 
adjourned. 

Adjourned. 



TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 1919, AFTERNOON SESSION 

The meeting of the last session of the Conference on American- 
ization was held in the cupola of the Atlantic House, and was 
called to order by the Chairman of the Executive Committee, 
Mr. George F. Quimby, who stated that this session would be an 
"Open Forum." 

Mr. Quimby announced that Mr. C. S. Ching, in charge of 
Industrial Relations with the United States Rubber Company, 
would be the presiding officer for the afternoon. 

Mr. Ching took the Chair. 

Mr. CHING. I think, in carrying on the discussion, this 
afternoon, we should bear in mind that we represent big busi- 
nesses. I am not reactionary, and I am not usually called con- 
servative, but I think we had better discuss the practical things 
which we hope to accomplish. Let's get some good out of this 
last Conference along the lines of doing things which are prac- 
tical, although they may not be idealistic. We cannot hope to 
attain our ideals in a few months; therefore, I would suggest 
that we carry the discussion along practical lines; our remarks 
will naturally be short as they are limited to three minutes. 

114 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

The first speaker, this afternoon will be Mr. W. Graydon 
Stetson, of the United States Treasury Department. [Applause.] 

Mr. GRAYDON STETSON. I would like to correct the 
Chairman in one particular. While I am connected with the 
Treasury Department, it is at a salary of even less than a dollar 
a year. 

I have come here with a message, and to ask you a few ques- 
tions. I come here quite humbly, not knowing much about 
Americanization, because I have not gone far enough into it 
to know what it really means. 

I do know that the United States Treasury proposes, or the 
present administration proposes, to continue the Thrift and 
Savings work for the next five years at least. The present 
administration may not be in existence after the next year, but 
the point is that whatever side should be in power, it is highly 
probable that some form of saving and thrift will be continued. 
I think it is a necessity in this country, and in all countries, and 
that it will long continue in some form. 

At present, the administration is in some doubt as to what 
way it should be continued, but my opinion is that any thrift 
and saving movement should be begun by the child in the 
schoolroom, and continued until the child has reached his finan- 
cial majority, which might be a thousand dollars, or a hundred 
dollars, or whatever it is. He should be permitted to increase 
his savings consistently and consecutively, until he has reached 
the point where he actually becomes an investor. I say this 
because I believe that nobody will deny that in this country 
when he has reached that point, he has, at least, taken one of the 
steps which is quite as important as he can take to become a 
really useful American citizen. The man who owns a Liberty 
Bond is less liable to become a Bolshevist (which is a term I 
don't know the meaning of), than one who owns none. The 
foreigner, with his liberal wages, will naturally set aside some 
of them in savings, and the government must provide some 
way for him to save. This the government can do in two ways: 
First, by carrying on educational work, and second, it can, 
if you gentlemen think it wise, furnish savings securities as it 
has in the past. You will hear arguments that savings should 
be put in the savings bank, and that it is not the business of the 
government to furnish mediums of saving, and all that sort of 

- 115 -, 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

thing, but the point is that the saving and thrift should be 
continued. 

Now, the things I want to ask you are: Isn't it true that some 
form of education to thrift and saving work on the part of the 
United States government is helpful in the Americanization 
work, and therefore helpful in industry? Is it true, or is it not 
true, that the government should provide a means of invest- 
ment? If that is true, what form should it take? Should stamps 
be continued, or should some other form of security be provided 
which can be handled more easily? If those two things are true, 
and the government should continue the education work, and 
continue to issue a certain kind of security, what other qualifi- 
cations should be put in? 

I know you have two obstacles to the foreigners in this country 
accumulating money. When I was on the Liberty Loan, we had 
one of the officials tell us what those two obstacles were. He 
referred to re-migration and direct relief. You all know what 
they are. You all know the alien collects his war savings stamps 
for the purpose of direct relief, and they also do it for re-migra- 
tion, and all I can say about that is that any foreigner who has 
accumulated enough money to go home, and wants to go home, 
and he has forgotten where that place is, I will tell him where to 
go, if he wants me to. 

Without wasting your time this afternoon in conversing on 
this subject, if it is possible I would suggest that you appoint 
a committee to consider this subject, to consider how helpful 
to the Americanization movement the Education Department 
of the United States Treasury can be; to consider how necessary 
it is for the Treasury to provide some sticky security like stamps, 
which will stick to the foreigner, and to which the foreigner will 
stick. 

And I will promise you that if any question is handed to 
me, it shall go to Washington, shall go to the Treasury Depart- 
ment, and that it shall receive a very warm and sympathetic 
reception. I beg of you, in the name of the United States Gov- 
ernment, that you do appoint a committee, and you do offer 
suggestions to me. You understand I am not the National 
Director; I am only associate director for the whole of New 
England, and that being the second best district in Washington 
at the present time, we are rather "warm," as the saying is in 

116 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Washington, and we can get about anything we want for the 
whole country. [Applause.] 

Mr. VERMILLION. As Chairman of the Program Com- 
mittee, I would like to suggest that this Conference express to 
our speaker our appreciation of this subject which he has brought 
to us, and I offer this resolution: 

"That we, the representatives of industry, are heartily in favor 
of encouraging thrift among our foreign-born employees, as well 
as among all our employees, and that we heartily recommend 
any investment furnished by the United States Government." 

(This was seconded.) 

Mr. STETSON. It is all right as far as it goes. 

Mr. VERMILLION. I would like to ask the speaker to add 
to that resolution the things he thinks ought to be added. 

Mr. STETSON. Only the appointment of a committee to 
offer suggestions. 

Mr. VERMILLION. I would like to add to that resolution 
that every delegate of this Conference be a committee to offer 
such helpful suggestions as can be made to the speaker who has 
addressed us. 

(The resolution was unanimously carried.) 

Mr. CHING. This is to be an Open Forum, and I would 
suggest that Mr. Vermillion start the discussion. 

Mr. Vermillion stated that he would like to get a line on the 
eight per cent tax on aliens, and Mr. William R. Spriegel, in charge 
of the Americanization School, Morgan & Wright, Detroit, Mich., 
was asked to speak on this subject. 

Mr. Spriegel read the law on the eight per cent tax and said 
it was the text of all he wanted to say. He felt that all the 
money which we collect from aliens should be turned back into 
a fund to be used for the Americanization of these people them- 
selves. Mr. Spriegel stated that he took issue with those who 
say that this was not idealistic. It is idealistic in a certain 
sense, and it is economic. These men have ideals, and aspirations 
and likings. The law we now have is not enforced. It must be 
made workable so that it can be enforced all over the United 
States. Make it eight per cent — eighty dollars on a thousand — 
and have it go back into a fund for the education of the aliens, 
so that they will be made to see what citizenship means. 

117 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

At the present time, if you are living up to the law, you have 
blanks. When a man is hired, he is made to swear that he is 
maintaining a residence in the United States; and if he swears 
that, it is a very easy matter for him to go a little bit further 
and take out his first papers. 

Mr. Spriegel stated he would like to see all this money go into 
one big reserve bank in the United States, to be used for these 
people, with a live man with red blood in his veins at the head 
of it. 

Mr. L. B. BACON, Manager Industrial Relations, The 
Upson Nut Company. Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Chairman, 
what was the purpose of enacting this law? I have been obliged 
to study it. The eight per cent was for 1918 and 1919, and two 
per cent for 1917. The government said industry must collect 
this and hand it over to the government. The purpose was to 
have the alien pay his proper share of taxation, just as the citizen 
is required to pay it. 

Now, to say that this is a joke rather impeaches Congress 
and our form of government. I admit that there have been 
cross decisions with reference to the collection of those taxes. 
In Cleveland, we are obliged to collect the tax from those who 
will not sign form 1078. Form 1078 is a declaration that the 
man intends to remain in this country and become a citizen. 
It does not have the force of taking out the first papers. 

This taxation, if it were turned back for Americanization, 
does not help in providing the means necessary to run the gov- 
ernment. It does not in any way assist the government in 
procuring the taxes from all persons living here, whether they 
are aliens or citizens. I don't know how it has acted in other 
states, but I do know that the government in Cleveland has been 
instructed to see that every manufacturer collects this tax. I 
know that the American Steel and Wire, who have a large num- 
ber of employees in Cleveland, have collected the tax, and in 
every case form 1078 has been filled out. 

Now, it has many ramifications which it is mighty difficult 
to follow. Try to get the two per cent which you did not collect 
for 1917. Try to collect it today. Those employees are no 
longer under the direction of the company; you cannot locate 
them. In some cases you will find three different names for 
the same man. It is mighty difficult, but you and I cannot 

• 118 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

challenge the right of the government to say that industry must 
collect the taxes. It has so said. We may not like it. We may 
not think it is fair and just, and we may take it as a request from 
the government, as we take the request of the government to 
buy bonds. 

But for us to say that Congress shall do certain things, as far 
as I am concerned, after reading and studying the law, would 
be a very unwise thing to do. We are not in the position of 
making such a recommendation, and when we make such a 
recommendation as was suggested, of turning the money back 
for the Americanization of these employees, thereby letting 
them out of paying the taxes in the proportion that they should, 
that you and I have to pay as citizens, it defeats the very 
purpose of the act. 

Mr. J. M. EATON, Industrial Manager, Lincoln Motor 
Company, Detroit, Mich. I simply want to support Mr. 
Bacon in what he has said. I cannot add anything, because he 
has covered the ground pretty well. I heartily agree with what 
he has said. We should bear in mind that we are not at all a 
representative body. We are merely a group of people here, who 
don't by any means represent industry in the United States. 
Many have gone home. If I did not object to the resolution on 
other grounds, I would object to it because it would allow the 
government to create a new bureau, with a lot more pay; and 
I am now and always will be against any government bureau 
handling this, when we can handle it better ourselves. [Applause.] 

Mr. CHING. The last speaker has said that we did not rep- 
resent industry, still we are recognized by industry, if we do 
not represent it, and it gives me a great deal of pleasure at this 
time to inform you that we have a representative here from the 
National Manufacturers Association, Mr. Keough, who will give 
us a few words of wisdom this afternoon. 

(Mr. Ching was called to the telephone, and Mr. Quimby 
assumed the Chair.) 

Mr. FREDERIC W. KEOUGH, National Association of 
Manufacturers, New York. It was very kind of the Chair 
to announce that you were about to receive some words of 
wisdom. 

I happen to be connected with a large industrial group, an 
association of forty-five hundred large firms, engaged in' every 

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AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

line of production. I emphasize production, because that is the 
business of industry; that is the business of the manufacturer. 
The manufacturer is an American, like all of us, an ordinary 
human individual, public-spirited and generous, but essentially 
not a sentimentalist. In other words, he is in business not for 
his health or from sentimental motives, although some very 
beautiful sentimental things come out of business, but for profit. 

Manufacturers are interested in this matter of Americaniza- 
tion, from various points of view. They are willing to co-operate 
with every effort to promote this sort of work, but I doubt if 
they feel they ought to be saddled with the whole proposition. 

We have just passed through an industrial war, won by the 
ability of industrial units; and industry will not hesitate to 
attack this Americanization industrial problem. It cannot do 
it single-handed; but at the same time, to abandon it, as was 
suggested yesterday, to abandon this matter of industrial Ameri- 
canization, and turn it back to the educators, is a confession of 
incapacity and inability, and indicates, moreover, a lack of 
appreciation of the whole problem and an apparent wavering 
of interest. So I would like to see this group, representative of 
the best in the country in the way of production, go on record 
in aggressive terms in indicating its understanding of the prob- 
lem of Americanization in industry, and laying down a set of 
principles for other meetings and other organizations to utilize, 
for this is an important gathering; it is the first of the sort 
conducted by men from industry, who speak with the tongue 
and look through the eyes of industry. 

I hope the resolutions that go through here will set a mark 
and inspire a pace, that the records will show that this was the 
place where definite, aggressive action was taken to make the 
movement to Americanize the aliens a notable contribution to 
natural progress. [Applause.] 

Mr. CHING. Ladies and Gentlemen: Again I want to call 
to your attention that there are ladies here* representing indus- 
try. Everyone seems to forget that, even Mr. Keough forgot 
it, though there are a generous group sitting in front of him. 

The next is the report of the Committee on Resolutions, and 
Mr. Eaton has a resolution which lie wishes to present. 

Mr. EATON, Lincoln Motor Company, Detroit, Mich. 
I didn't know yesterday, when I referred to the Committee oa 

120 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Resolutions, that there was such a committee, and little did 
I know that I had anything to do with it, and that committee 
was forced to retire to the side porch, so if this resolution is in 
any way weak, it is due to the absence of the environment under 
which a resolutions committee usually works. 

Whereas, this first National Conference on Americanization 
in Industries has been successful beyond our most sanguine 
expectations, both in the value of the material offered for our 
consideration and the development of the great American 
spirit of co-operation; and 

Whereas, the selection as a meeting place of this delightful 
spot upon the coast of the great state of Massachusetts, with its 
wonderful historical, educational, and industrial background, 
has contributed in a large degree to that success : and 

Whereas, the whole-hearted co-operation of the Associated 
Industries of Massachusetts and the labor and generous contri- 
butions in time and talent upon the part of the chairman and 
members of the General Committee, and upon the part of the 
Chairman and members of Committees on Program, Entertain- 
ment, Findings, Hotel, etc., and especially upon the part of the 
lady members of such committees, and of those who contributed 
in a musical way, has had much to do with the effectiveness with 
which the Conference has functioned and the development of 
the good fellowship which is here evidenced; therefore 

Be it Resolved, That the heartfelt thanks of this Conference 
be, and hereby is, extended to the Chairman and members of the 
General Committee, to the Chairman and members of the 
Committees on Entertainment, Program, Findings, Hotel, etc., 
to the Associated Industries of Massachusetts; to those who 
have participated in the formal programs; to those who have 
contributed to our musical entertainment; especially to the lady 
members of the committees, who have so unselfishly worked for 
our comfort and entertainment, and to all those who have in any 
way added their bit to the making of this Conference one of the 
milestones in the development of a program for the carrying on 
of Americanization in Industry. 

(Signed) J. M. Eaton, 

E. C. Vermillion, 
A. H. Wyman, 
C. H. Paull. 

Mr. EATON. Now. ladies and gentlemen, I think, notwith- 
standing the absence of the bar, the committee did fairly well, 
and I move the adoption of this resolution. 

Mr. QUIMBY. Mr. Chairman, I am going to suggest that 

121 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

everyone here come up and bow to the Resolutions Committee, 
because everyone here is included. 

(The resolution was unanimously carried.) 

Mr. CHING. The next business is the report of the Findings 
Committee. 

Mr. BOHNER. Ladies and gentlemen, I am sorry to say 
that the Findings Committee met under different conditions. 
Mr. Fiesinger had to leave before these resolutions were pre- 
sented, and he asked me to act as chairman of the committee. 
I will read the first one: 

We, the representatives of the educational forces of industry, 
recognize that industry has a definite part with the other forces 
of the community in initiating and organizing Americanization 
work; therefore be it 

Resolved, That instruction in English for non-English-speaking 
people should be carried on under the supervision of the public 
educational forces. We pledge our aid in our respective communi- 
ties to bring about this co-operation. 

(Resolution received with applause. Its adoption w T as moved 
and seconded.) 

Mr. C. T. HOLM, Industrial Department, International 
Committee, Y. M. C. A., New York. It seems to me, in view 
of the tremendous contribution a great many of our organizations 
have made, doing pioneer work in this movement, and in view 
of their experience which has made possible their contribution, 
which they have given today, it might leave misapprehension 
in the minds of some in reading that, if we did not qualify that 
statement, in some degree, by making mention of the place that 
private organizations have had in this work. I think from the 
vigorous arguments we have had at this Conference perhaps it 
is felt there are certain phases of it that should not be done by 
private organizations. I am making a plea for those organiza- 
tions who have been working for ten or twelve years and who 
are working today. 

Mr. VERMILLION. I don't believe there is any question, 
ladies and gentlemen, but that we recognize to the fullest extent 
the work of the Y. M. C. A., and what many other agencies have 
done in this Americanization field. The thought, I believe, of 
this resolution, and the thought, I believe, in which Industry 
is most interested, is to get this work centralized where we can 

122 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

meet on a common ground. Industry is interested only in this 
educational program, in my judgment, to the extent that non- 
English-speaking men may obtain a working knowledge of the 
English language. 

We believe — and I think I can speak for all the industries 
here represented — that the educational system of our country, 
if properly carried on, that is, equipped with school buildings for 
community work, and all that sort of thing, is the body that 
ought to take care of the educational end of this program. 

We believe that the Y. M. C. A., the Y. W. C. A. and every 
other agency interested in this work should have the same spirit 
of co-operation with the public educational forces as the indus- 
tries have in co-operating with them. That is, I think, the spirit 
of this resolution, that the Y. M. C. A. will get the same benefit 
from obtaining their teachers in the same manner from the 
public educational forces that the industry gets in obtaining 
their teachers. I am speaking from my own experience in our 
own particular plant. Our Y. M. C. A. get their teachers for 
their work in the Y. M. C. A. from the same source from which 
we get them in industry. Bring this on to a common ground 
with a central education board, and have every other agency in 
the city and every industry as a contributing force, and I believe 
you are going to get real results. [Applause.] 

Mr. IRISH. There are several things that must be taken 
into consideration in connection with the adoption of this reso- 
lution. It is true that the school department should be looking 
out for this work to a certain extent. It is also true that if the 
school department does not handle it in the proper shape, it might 
be in a position to do a great injury and a great injustice to indus- 
try, if it were given the sole power to handle and control this 
work. From the interpretation of the term "Americanization' ' 
as used today, there is no man, no group of men, in this country 
that has the opportunity to interpret Americanism with the 
same force as the industrial man. Men in industry are in personal 
contact with these people. You know what an American is at 
work. He works; he is busy. At play he is all play. Here we 
are today looking at this question from a serious point of view. 
Last night we were having a good time, and yesterday we were 
out there playing ball. But the average so-called foreigner does 
not see us in this light. He sees us as the boss, driving, and 

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AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

pushing toward production — to get more production and to get 
good production. But if some of those same men they have 
known as bosses can become their teachers, they can look upon 
them as their big brothers and their neighbors. They will see 
Americanization in its true light. That is something that has 
been neglected; has not been considered by a great many 
workers. After you have been in the game for five, six, eight or 
ten years, you will begin to see things in their true light, and 
when you do you will grasp those particular points. [Applause.] 

Mr. A. C. HACKE, Service Manager, Ludlow Manufac- 
turing Associates, Ludlow, Mass. I want to ask if it is wise 
to change a single w r ord in this resolution. Have it state where 
educational forces are "ready to assume it." Some of us feel 
that we happen to know communities where they are ready to 
assume it, but could not put the program over. I am not so sure 
that if w T e have reached the proper willingness on the part of the 
educational authorities to assume the responsibility that that 
is a guarantee, they will carry it out. I would suggest "prepared 
and willing to assume the responsibility." 

(Resolution is read with that change.) 

Mr. Bohner stated that the Findings Committee was abso- 
lutely willing to do the bidding of the Conference, but the 
resolution as he presented it was the way it seemed best to the 
committee. 

Mr. SLATTERY, representing the National Catholic 
War Council, of Boston. I would like to offer a suggestion 
on this subject, and I know the educational authorities don't 
intend to take control. In the first place, they can't, and in the 
second they won't, and don't want to. What they do want is 
to act in co-operation with you, and I have effected an arrange- 
ment with one of the two departments in Washington (we all 
know there are two departments in Washington in charge of 
Americanization), and I have effected today an arrangement 
with one of them by which we expect to work in co-operation 
with it. 

Co-operation means that we are to help wherever possible, 
to make use of the school teachers. But that does not mean 
that we are to be committed to any policies that will take away 
our own work from us. We believe the best possible co-operation 
is obtained by doing, so far as we can, what the government 

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AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

thinks is the best thing to do. The Department of Labor thinks 
the best way is to make use of the public school teachers where 
they can be used, and make use of the national department 
wherever it can be used. In Boston we are doing that very 
thing — we make use of the public school teachers wherever we 
can. It takes away a great financial burden from us. The city 
of Boston is glad to do it. It furnishes us teachers who have only 
one desire in their work, and that is to give the best that is 
possible in Americanization. We also keep in touch with Mr. 
Farrell, the director, and as we go along he sees that we get no 
great delays in the courses. I feel for my own part, this minute, 
that this resolution ought to be amended so as to read "in co- 
operation with the public school forces." 

(Resolution is again read amended as suggested.) 

Mr. A. G. WARREN, Supervisor, American Steel and 
Wire Company, Worcester, Mass. Permit me to say for the 
American Steel and Wire Company, that I am in favor of the 
word "co-operation" rather than "control." I know our com- 
pany at the present time is not ready to surrender the control 
of Americanization work to the school authorities. 

Mr. M. H. MELLEN, Supervisor, General Electric Com- 
pany, Lynn, Mass. I also want to add my word to what the 
last speaker has said and do what Mr. Slattery has said. Our 
company is in the same position. We appreciate the supervision 
of the public schools, but we are not at the point where we 
desire to turn the work over to them. I would much rather see 
the word "co-operation" put in than to leave the resolution 
as it was first read. 

Mr. CARL K. GIESSE, Assistant Service Manager, Na- 
tional Carbon Company, Cleveland, Ohio. It might be well 
to state right here just a general idea of what the Americaniza- 
tion people in Cleveland expect to do in the future on this 
co-operation plan. The day before I left we had a meeting of 
Americanization workers in Cleveland. Every agency was repre- 
sented — the industries were represented, the Chamber of Com- 
merce, the public schools — every agency that is engaged in one 
or the other of the Americanization works was there. They 
decided to appoint a committee to discuss this problem, that 
a general council shall be created in the city of Cleveland made 
up of about nine or ten real active workers, and under that 

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AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

general council a sub-council of representatives of every agency 
in the city which is engaged in Americanization work. Under 
the sub-council there would be various committees to do actual 
work. This work would be handled in co-operation with the 
public school system. That is the general plan we are contem- 
plating in Cleveland. 

Resolution put as amended, to read as follows: 

Resolved, That instruction in English for non -English-speaking 
people should be carried on in co-operation with the public edu- 
cational forces, provided those forces are prepared and will 
assume the responsibility. We pledge our aid in our respective 
communities to bring about this co-operation. 

Unanimously carried. 

The second resolution was read by Mr. Bohner at this time, 
as follows: 

Resolved, That non-English-speaking employees attending 
English classes in industry should attend such classes volun- 
tarily, on their own time, and without compensation. 

The adoption of that resolution was moved and seconded. 
Carried. 

The third resolution was read by Mr. Bohner at this time, as 
follows : 

Resolved, That every industry employing non-English-speak- 
ing people should formulate a definite policy regarding American- 
ization work, and that such work can best be done when a 
responsible person is charged with its direction. 

The adoption of this resolution was moved and seconded and 
unanimously carried. 

The fourth resolution was read by Mr. Bohner at this time, 
which is as follows: 

Resolved, That we, as a representative group of industries, 
unanimously disapprove making naturalization a condition of 
employment, and recommend that every community establish 
at least one school for citizenship. 

Mr. GIESSE. On that point I would like to just express 
this thought. Naturalization, in my mind, is the acquiring of 
complete citizenship. I don't believe in making naturalization 
a condition of employment — to require a man to be completely 

12G 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

naturalized. If my employer were lo have told me, before I 
became a citizen in 1912, "Giesse, you must become a citizen, 
or you cannot get a job," I would have said to him, "No, I 
will not become a citizen." If I have something better in the old 
country, and expect to go back, I will not take out first papers; 
but if I expect to stay here and enjoy the privileges, I expect to 
take a part in governing this country, and help make it what it 
should be. When a non-English-speaking worker comes to the 
plant, we don't know whether he wants to become a citizen or 
not; but after he takes out his first papers, the first step is taken 
by his declaring that he wants to be an American. 

I have two brothers on the other side who fought on the other 
side in this great struggle. I fought on this side. The foreigner, 
in taking out his papers, declares that it is his intention to stay 
here, and that he will not go back. If he does not stay, he must 
have something better across than we have here, and he has 
no place here in America. After the facts are brought to him 
in his own language, therefore, I am in favor of making it a condi- 
tion of employment that the alien declare his intention of becom- 
ing a citizen or not. 

Mr. HOWE, of Standard Parts, Cleveland, Ohio, acqui- 
esced in what Mr. Giesse said. 

Mr. BOHNER. I would like to say a word about what Mr. 
Giesse said. As a matter of fact, there is a great deal of misap- 
prehension with regard to these first papers. A good many men 
feel that they are just as sacred a step to them as the second 
papers are. There are tw r elve states in the Union that permit 
voting on the first papers. I will make that resolution stronger 
if you wish it, but in the absence of the other two members of 
the committee, I don't feel that I should do it. 

It was moved and seconded that the resolution be adopted. 
Carried. 

These were all the resolutions the committee had to offer. 

Mr. HOWE, of the Standard Parts, asked for the privilege 
of offering a resolution relative to improving the status of the 
foreigner, and taking him out of his environment. This resolution 
was read by Mr. Howe. 

Mr. BOHNER. The very thought you have in mind would 
be misinterpreted if it were put in the papers tomorrow morning, 
and I am wondering if it would be wise to do that. 

127 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Mr. CHING. It seems to me the spirit of the speaker is 
understood by us, but I am wondering just what benefit it would 
be to this Conference to have such a sentiment adopted in the 
form of a resolution. But I agree with Mr. Bohner, that when 
you undertake to draw up a resolution, you are stepping on 
pretty delicate ground, and you might do something you would 
wish you had not done. If the gentleman wishes to put this 
in the form of a resolution, I will be glad to entertain it, but it 
is my personal opinion that a resolution of this kind is unwise. 

Mr. MELLEN, of the General Electric, Lynn, Mass. In 
time of plenty our foreigners will not go to school, if they are 
allowed to make as much money as they can. If they attend 
school, they will take a night off and have it for recreation and 
play. We are going to have a time of plenty for the foreigners 
that are here, and unless some means are promulgated whereby 
he will attend school, he is not going to attend, and I think there 
should be some measure whereby he will be compelled to do it. 

Mr. VERMILLION. I would like to say just a word in regard 
to what the gentleman from the General Electric has said. He 
offers a very rosy picture of the good times in the future, and I 
am wondering if they will be any better than the good times in 
the past. We have boys in our school who are making eleven 
dollars and a half a day piece work, and I don't know whether 
they are going to make much better piece work than that in 
the future, and they are coming to school just the same. 

Mr. WILLIAM F. HOWES, Employment Manager, F. M. 
Hoyt Shoe Company, Manchester, N. H. I wish to say that 
in our state a bill has just been passed by the legislature of the 
state, which goes into effect August first, that no manufacturer 
in the state of New Hampshire, employing twenty-five people 
or more, is allowed to employ any person under twenty-one 
years of age who cannot speak English and read and write 
intelligently. 

Mr. CHING. I don't like to stop the discussion, but we 
have something interesting ahead of us. We have a gentleman 
with us here this afternoon, to address us, who has had a great 
deal of experience in Community Service, and who has given 
of himself to Community Service. He is President of Community 
Service, Inc. He has had pinned on his breast a Distinguished 
Service Medal, which was pinned there a very short time ago 

128 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

— since lunch — and he is about to talk to us on Community 
Service. Mr. Joseph Lee. [Audience arose and applauded him.] 

(Mr. Lee had just come from the Boston Common, where 
General Edwards had pinned the Distinguished Service Medal 
on him.) 

Mr. JOSEPH LEE. This Distinguished Service Medal is 
quite new, and while I always feel, when people say it is not for 
themselves when they receive a medal, but is for the organization 
which they represent, that they are lying, in my case I am telling 
the truth when I say that. 

I will tell you as quickly as I can what Community Service is. 
Community Service is being organized to take up the work of 
the War Camp Community Service, as it ceases to be war work 
and to conserve the social values it has created to help meet our 
peace-time problems. 

Our work is national in scope. We are organized in six hundred 
communities, including all the cities of over a hundred thousand, 
and most of those of over fifty thousand. In Bethlehem, the 
Steel Company has invested a great many thousand dollars 
at our suggestion. In Chester, Governor Sproul is the active 
chairman of our committee and has written with enthusiasm 
about the work. We have in all 2,700 paid workers and more 
than 60,000 volunteers. 

Part of the work will be a continuation for soldiers and sailors 
in the permanent camps of just what we have been doing for them 
during the war, and with the waning of the war motive, they 
will need it more than ever. 

Part of it will be of a different sort. Last winter, at the request 
of the Secretary of Labor, we went into fifty communities to see 
what we could do to lessen the labor overturn by making condi- 
tions more livable — or rather, we went there to make life more 
worth while with the lessening of labor overturn and the improve- 
ment of the quality of the work as important by-products. 

What you will want to know is exactly what Community 
Service consists of, especially in these industrial communities. 

In the first place, we go into a community only in answer to 
a demand, a request for help. We send in a trained organizer 
to form a representative committee of citizens and put it up to 
this committee to tell us what the community really wants. 
Then we try to help them to attain it. 

129 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

I mean what it wants in the way of the use of its leisure time. 
I think the leisure time problem is now the great problem of the 
day. Modern industry is no longer expressive of the creative 
and constructive instincts of the working man. He no longer 
can find real expression in his job. It is hunger for expression 
that is at the bottom of labor unrest. It is a matter of spiritual 
starvation, and it is this hunger that it is our business to appease. 

If a man can no longer live inside his job, he must live outside 
of it or die. Ours is a life-saving proposition. 

There are a hundred practical ways which we have found in 
the ten years of experience of the Playground and Recreation 
Association of America and of War Camp Community Service, 
of carrying this program into action. The particular way chosen 
will depend, as I have indicated, on the local need. If we find 
the children crowding the streets, in danger all the time from 
automobiles, and having no real play, while the school yards 
meantime are closed against them, we perhaps start by getting 
the school yards open and starting a class under an expert play 
director, where the teachers can learn how to manage them. 
If it is summer time and there is a possible bathing beach unde- 
veloped, we may start an agitation to have it used. 

We have been instrumental in opening new parks, playgrounds 
and athletic fields, securing municipal beaches and bath houses, 
starting such activities as boating, swimming, camping, hikes, 
athletic meets, twilight leagues of baseball or soccer for working- 
men, skating and boxing, basket ball, street play. 

W r e get the schools opened as social centers. We get up dances 
where the young people can meet each other properly chaper- 
oned and under good conditions. We have sometimes started 
movies. Almost always at the beginning we start community 
singing. At the school centers we interest the people in dramatics. 

In carrying out this program we use the local agencies so far 
as possible. Instead of superseding them, we help them do their 
work partly by running classes under expert teachers for their 
own leaders in singing, dramatics, play and any other activities 
in which they are engaged. 

In all our work it is our aim to call out the strength that is in 
the people themselves, have the whole movement developed 
by their own committee, and as soon as possible draw out and 
leave it wholly in their hands, giving them only such after-care 

130 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

as may be needed. We are helped in doing this by the fact that 
we represent no creed or class or party, and that we call upon 
workers and capitalists, foreign and native-born alike, simply 
to take part as citizens in developing their own communities to 
satisfy their own social needs. 

In this way we believe we do a very important work for 
Americanization. People do not become Americans to order, 
or even by being taught the language. Our method is to say: 
"Giovanni, you have got a good voice. Can't we show you how 
to be a song leader?" ''Come on, Ivan, and join our twilight 
athletic association." We ask them not to receive something 
from us, but to come out and take their part as American citizens 
in making their community the kind of place they want it to be. 
That is how a man becomes an American— by acting as an 
American — not by being told about it. We always say "we" 
and "come." 

Our work differs from welfare work in being done by the 
community for the community, not by one class for another. 
[Applause.] 

Mr. ORRA L. STONE, Associated Industries of Massa- 
chusetts, Boston. Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: You 
have come here these two days to listen to our program, and I 
hope you have received something of profit to take back with 

you. 

I want to tell you that it is a real pleasure to the organiza- 
tion, which I have the honor to represent, to have you, ladies 
and gentlemen, interested in industrial Americanization, come 
to Massachusetts, and to this delightful spot, to hold this first 
Conference on "Americanization in Industry." Of course you 
are as familiar with the history of the Old Bay State as I am, 
and perhaps more so, and it is a real pleasure to play the part 
of host to the representatives of the various industries repre- 
sented here in this Conference. If you have profited by your 
attendance, the prime object of this Conference has been accom- 
plished, and on behalf of the Associated Industries of Massa- 
chusetts, I want to thank you for the time, energy and trouble 
you have put in to reach here to attend the Conferences of yes- 
terday and today. I believe we are blazing the path of Ameri- 
canization for the foreign-speaking people, and from this Confer- 
ence will follow an untold amount of good. I thank you on behalf 

131 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

of the Association for the trouble you have taken to come to 
the Old Bay State and help formulate a program that can be 
employed and perhaps amplified in carrying on the work of those 
who are charged with Americanization activities in industry 
in all parts of the United States. 

Mr. CHING. This closes the afternoon program, and I will 
call on Mr. Quimby. 

Mr. QUIMBY. The statement was made by Mr. W. D. Hol- 
den, chairman of the Finance Committee, this morning, that 
since Massachusetts industries had raised funds to carry on 
some of the expenses of this Conference, he was going to approach 
industries outside of Massachusetts for the rest of the expenses. 
I just want to say that if Massachusetts manufacturers have 
anything to do about it, you will not receive any letters from 
the Finance Committee asking for contributions. We expect 
we are going to handle the thing entirely from Massachusetts. 
We do not want you to go away feeling that you are returning 
to your concerns with any additional expenses. (See page 133.) 

I want to say in behalf of the Executive Committee — or the 
"Steering Committee' ' — that we hope you all believe we have 
run this Conference in a way which has given everyone full 
freedom of expression and a chance to make the Conference a 
success. 

Now we are to return to our homes to do the work concerning 
which we have talked here. The opportunity for service is tre- 
mendous. I hope that the memory of this Conference may ever 
serve as an inspiration to all of us. May many of the fellowships 
and acquaintances formed here ripen into lasting friendships. 
Let us work to carry out our resolutions, thus helping American 
employers become a potent force, winning all their employees 
to a love and loyalty for America. [Applause.] 

Three cheers were given for the Associated Industries of 
Massachusetts. 

A motion to adjourn was made and carried, and the Chair 
declared the meeting adjourned. 

Adjourned. 



132 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 



Letter sent by Chairman of Finance Committee to all 
delegates from outside Massachusetts 



National Conference on Americanization in Industries 

Held at Nantasket Beach 
June 22 through June 24, 1919 

1790 Broadway, New York City, 
August 5, 1919. 

MASSACHUSETTS OUR HOST 

You will recall that during the last day of the National Conference 
on Americanization in Industry, at Nantasket Beach, June 23rd and 24th, 
the writer made an announcement about a charge to cover the expenses 
of arranging this meeting. In the announcement suggestion was made 
that in view of the entertainment already provided by those from Massa- 
chusetts, we others should be the ones to subscribe to this fund. 

However, in keeping with the spirit of hospitality shown by the Massa- 
chusetts industrial people throughout the entire Conference, they told 
me that I was mistaken in thinking that Massachusetts should be dis- 
criminated against in this fashion. Because the various delegates had 
traveled from different parts of the country, those from the Bay State 
have insisted upon being our hosts in no half-way manner, but entirely so. 

Therefore, this letter which you may have expected to contain a request 
for a subscription, has only the good news that all of the expenses incident 
to the arrangements and subsequent printing of the Minutes have been 
raised by a group of Massachusetts manufacturers connected with the 
Associated Industries of Massachusetts. 

Sincerely yours, 

Wallace D. Hold en, 

For the Executive Committee. 

(See also pages 81 and 132.) 



133 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Industries in general and all the Conference members particu- 
larly are indebted to these manufacturers who showed their 
genuine interest in the promotion of Americanization in Industry 
by generously defraying the expenses of calling and conducting 
this National Conference on Americanization in Industries, and 
in behalf of the Conference the Executive Committee desires 
to express appreciation to 

George A. Bausman, 

National Equipment Company, Springfield, Mass. 
Charles S. Bird, 

Bird & Son, East Walpole, Mass. 
Howard Coonley, 

Walworth Manufacturing Company, South Boston, Mass. 
William Cordes, 

Florence Manufacturing Company, Florence, Mass. 
Clifton A. Crocker, 

Crocker-McElwain Company, Holyoke, Mass. 
Nathan Durfee, 

The American Printing Company, Fall River, Mass. 

AUGUSTIN W. ESLEECK, 

Esleeck Manufacturing Company, Turners Falls, Mass. 
George A. Galliver, 

American Writing Paper Company, Holyoke, Mass. 
William A. Gallup, 

Arnold Print Works, North Adams, Mass. 
Adolph W. Gilbert, 

Chapman Valve Manufacturing Company, Indian Orchard, Mass. 
Frederic C. Hood, 

Hood Rubber Company, Watertown, Mass. 
Eben S. S. Keith, 

Keith Car & Manufacturing Company, Sagamore, Mass. 
Walter M. Lowney, 

The Walter M'. Lowney Company, Boston, Mass. 
J. F. McElwain, 

W. H. McElwain Company, Boston, Mass. 
Joseph K. Milliken, 

Mt. Hope Finishing Company, North Dighton, Mass. 
Horace A. Moses, 

Strathmore Paper Company, Mittineague, Mass. 
Frederick H. Payne, 

Greenfield Tap & Die Corporation, Greenfield, Mass. 
Richard H. Rice, 

General Electric Company, West Lynn, Mass. 
Malcolm B. Stone, 

Ludlow Manufacturing Associates, Boston, Mass. 
E. Kent Swift, 

Whitin Machine Works, W'hitinsville, Mass. 

134 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 



LIST OF PEOPLE REGISTERED 

as being in attendance at the National Conference on Ameri- 
canization in Industries, Atlantic House, Nantasket Beach, 
Massachusetts, June 22 through June 24, 1919: 

Ahlstrom, David F., Industrial Relations Manager, American Rubber 
Company, Cambridge, Mass. 

Algeo, Mrs. Sarah M., Chairman R. I. Women's Citizenship Committee, 
Providence, R. I. 

Alexander, Harry W., Assistant to President, American Writing Paper 
Company, Holyoke, Mass. 

Alexander, Mrs. H. W., Holyoke, Mass. 

Anthony, Andrew W., Industrial Relations Manager, National India 
Rubber Company, Bristol, R. I. 

Ashe, S. W., Educational and Welfare Manager, General Electric Com- 
pany, Pittsfield, Mass. 

Ashton, Carl F., General Superintendent, The Ashton Valve Company, 
East Cambridge, Mass. 

Bach, E. E., Director of Americanization, Philadelphia, Pa. 

Bacon, Helen, Secretary, Cleveland Americanization Committee, Cleve- 
land, Ohio. 

Bacon, Leon B., Manager Industrial Relations, The Upson Nut Com- 
pany, Cleveland, Ohio. 

Baer, Albert H., Cost Accountant, American Printing Company, Fall 
River, Mass. 

Bailey, Mervyn J., Employment Department, Hood Rubber Company, 
Watertown, Mass. 

Barden, J. Frederick, Foreman, Mason Machine Works, Taunton, Mass. 

Baxter, Herbert L., Employment Manager, Hood Rubber Company, 
W r atertown, Mass. 

Beal, Edna M., Training School Director, National India Rubber Com- 
pany, Bristol, R. I. 

Beatty, A. J., Director of Training, American Rolling Mill Company, 
Middletown, Ohio. 

Bird, Mrs. Charles S., Bird & Son, East Walpole, Mass. 

Bird, Mrs. Francis W., Bird & Son, East Walpole, Mass. 

Bistrup, F. V., Associated Industries of Massachusetts, Boston, Mass. 

Blair, Mary Pierpont, Teacher, Cambridge, Mass. 

Bohlin, G. S., Safety Engineer, E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Arlington, 
N.J. 

Bohner, E. E., Industrial Service Secretary, Associated Industries of 
Massachusetts, Springfield, Mass. 

Brooks, Maro S., Deputy Commissioner of Education, State of New 
Hampshire, Concord, N. H. 

Burr, Harry T., Comptroller, Landers, Frary & Clark, New Britain, Conn. 

Cahill, Charles T., United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Boston, Mass. 

135 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Campbell, R. R., Assistant to President, American Writing Paper Com- 
pany, Holyoke, Mass. 

Carlisle, Ralph E., Employment and Welfare, Lever Bros., Cambridge, 
Mass. 

Carney, Chester S., Councillor on Industrial Relations, Scovell, Welling- 
ton & Co., Boston, Mass. 

Caulahan, J. H., U. S. Rubber Company, New Haven, Conn. 

Cavanaugh, Miss, Employment Bureau, Bird & Son, East Walpole, Mass. 

Chester, Mike O., Chairman, Joseph Feiss Company, Cleveland, Ohio. 

Child, Horace E., Assistant Superintendent, Boston Rubber Shoe Com- 
pany, Factory No. 2, Melrose, Mass. 

Ching, C. S., in charge Industrial Relations, United States Rubber 
Company, New York, N. Y. 

Coffin, E. M., Staff Engineer, Associated Industries of Massachusetts, 
Boston, Mass. 

Colelli, Vincent, Instructor. Pennsylvania Railroad, Philadelphia, Pa. 

Colvin, George, Foreman, Mason Machine Works, Taunton, Mass. 

Converse, H. B., Assistant to President, Randall-Faichney Company, 
Boston, Mass. 

Cooper, John T., Employment Manager, Boston Rubber Shoe Company, 
Maiden, Mass. 

Crist, R. A., Assistant to Superintendent, Personnel Supervisor, Dayton 
Engineering Laboratories Company, Dayton, Ohio. 

Crow, Allen B., City Industrial Secretary, Y. M. C. A., Detroit, Mich. 

Dallas, Herbert A., Agent, Massachusetts Board of Education, Boston, 
Mass. 

Daniels, John E., Industrial Investigator, Associated Industries of Massa- 
chusetts, Boston, Mass. 

Davis, Cyril P., Clerk, American Printing Company, Fall River, Mass. 

Demsey, Anna L., Employment and Welfare Manager, Boston Belting 
Corporation, Boston, Mass. 

Derrick, C. V., Labor Superintendent, American Bosch Magneto Corpo- 
ration, Springfield, Mass. 

Derbyshire, A. J., Employment Manager, Norwalk Tire and Rubber Com- 
pany, Norwalk, Conn. 

DeWitt, C. C, Superintendent of Ford English School, Ford Motor Com- 
pany, Detroit, Mich. 

Dow, Walter E., Assistant to the Executive, American Printing Company, 
Fall River, Mass. 

Downing, George, Manager Industrial Relations, Walter M. Lowney 
Company, Boston, Mass. 

Doyle, Anna A., Employment Manager, Boston Confectionery Company, 
Cambridge, Mass. 

Driscoll, Edward A., Foreman, White & WyckofT, Mfg. Company, 
Holyoke, Mass. 

Dyson, H. T., Treasurer, Hudson Worsted Company, Hudson, Mass. 

Dyson, Joseph, Superintendent, Hudson Worsted Company, Hudson, 
Mass. 

136 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Eaton, J. M., Industrial Manager, Lincoln Motor Company, Detroit, 
Mich. 

Farwell, Francis, Manager Industrial Relations, Worthington Pump and 
Machinery Corporation, New York, N. Y. 

Fiesinger, E. H., Safety Engineer, The Solvay Process Company, Syra- 
cuse, N. Y. 

Fonda, George T., General Supervisor Employment, Compensation and 
Welfare, Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Bethlehem, Pa. 

Fout, George B., Supervisor Schools, Youngstown Sheet and Tube Com- 
pany, Youngstown, Ohio. 

Fox, Miss Agnes G., Teacher, A. C. Lawrence Leather Company, Peabody, 
Mass. 

Francke, H. Gilbert, Assistant on Labor, Treasurer's Office, Pacific Mills, 
Boston, Mass. 

Francke, Madeline B., Dedham, Mass. 

Franks, Walter C, The Cleveland Press, East 3rd Street, Cleveland, Ohio. 

Friedman, Nathan H., Treasurer, Harodite Finishing Company, North 
Dighton, Mass. 

Friedman, Mrs. Nathan H., North Dighton, Mass. 

Frost, Luther H., Industrial Secretary, Y. M. C. A., New Bedford. 

Galliver, George A., President, American Writing Paper Company, 
Holyoke, Mass. 

Galliver, Mrs. G. A., American Writing Paper Company, Holyoke, Mass. 

Gibson, A. C, Manager Industrial Relations Department, Spang Chalfant 
& Co., Inc., Etna, Pa. 

Giesse, Carl K., Assistant Service Manager, National Carbon Company, 
Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. 

Gillett, Alvin E., Y. M. C. A. Secretary, Chase Companies, Waterbury, 
Conn. 

Gillett, Mrs. Alvin E., Waterbury, Conn. 

Gilman, Miss G. F., Associated Industries of Massachusetts, Boston, 
Mass. 

Griff eth, Merle R., Publicity Agent, General Electric Company, Boston, 
Mass. 

Graul, W. L., Assistant Superintendent, Semet-Solvay Company, Detroit, 
Mich. 

Guy ton, Mary L., Director of Classes in Immigrant Education, Boston 
Rubber Shoe Company, Maiden, Mass. 

Hacke, A. C, Service Manager, Ludlow Manufacturing Associates, Lud- 
low, Mass. 

Haithwaite, James, Service Superintendent, Stark Mills, Manchester, 
N. H. 

Hall, Winthrop G., Assistant Manager, Spencer W r ire Company, Worces- 
ter, Mass. 

Harrison, M., Director Industrial Relations, Hammermill Paper Com- 
pany, Erie, Pa. 

Harris, Nancy H., Official Stenographer, Boston, Mass. 

137 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Haskins, Herman Hartwell, Assistant Superintendent Service Depart- 
ment, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Ltd., Bethlehem, Pa. 

Heathcote, George M., Service Department, Hood Rubber Company. 
Water town, Mass. 

Hiller, J. A., Industrial Secretary, Chicago Y. M. C. A., Chicago, 111. 

Holden, Wallace D., United States Rubber Company, New York, N. Y. 

Holm, Colin T., Americanization Secretary, Y. 3VI. C. A., International 
Committee, N. Y. 

Holmes, Philip C, Clerk, Grinnell Mfg. Corporation, New Bedford, Mass. 

Holt, John B., Industrial Secretary, Y. M. C. A., Cambridge, Mass. 

Hoornstra, John J., Director of Education, White Motor Company, 
Cleveland, Ohio. 

Howe, A. R., Safety Service, Standard Parts Company, Cleveland, Ohio. 

Howes, William F., Employment Manager, F. M. Hoyt Shoe Company. 
Manchester, N. H. (also representative for N. H. Manufacturers' 
Association). 

Howes, Mrs. William F., Manchester, N. H. 

Irish, Millard B., Secretary, Fall River Immigrant Committee, Fall 
River, Mass. 

Joy, Mrs. H. C, Harvard Employment Management Class, Boston, Mass. 

Judd, Robert A., Director of Americanization, Maui Aid Association, 
Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii. 

K'Burg, H. E., Assistant to General Manager, Hyatt Bearings Division, 
General Motors Corporation, in charge Personnel Service, Newark, 
N. J. 

Keough, Frederic W., Editor, National Association of Manufacturers, 
New York. 

Kelley, Miss Anna J., Teacher, A. C. Lawrence Leather Company, Pea- 
body, Mass. 

Kerwin, William, Jr., Superintendent, Beacon Mfg. Company. New 
Bedford, Mass. 

Kinney, Fred P., Treasurer, Kinney Mfg. Company, Boston, Mass. 

Kitson, Walter R., Superintendent Labor and Safety, Solvay Process 
Company, Detroit, Mich. 

Kniffin, Lloyd M., Assistant Consulting Engineer, U. S. Smelting, Refin- 
ing and Mining Company, Boston, Mass. 

Knight, Emma T., Supervisor of Americanization, Women's Municipal 
League of Boston, Boston, Mass. 

Lalor, W. J., Office Manager, Woonsocket Rubber Company, Millville, 
Mass. 

Lane, Charles H., Supervisor of Personnel, Columbia Graphophone Com- 
pany, Bridgeport, Conn. 

Lang, William, Foreman, American Printing Company, Fall River. Mass. 

Laycock, Benjamin, Superintendent, V. S. Worsted Company, Lawrence, 
Mass. 

Lee, Arthur, Personnel Manager. William Carter Company, Springfield, 
Mass. 

138 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Lepore, Anthony A., Americanization Instructor, Norton Company, 
Worcester, Mass. 

Levy, T. A., Chairman Americanization Committee, Chamber of Com- 
merce, Syracuse, N. Y. 

Lihme, Charles J., Clerk, American Printing Company, Fall River, Mass. 

Lingham, C. H., Agent, Ginn & Company, Boston, Mass. 

Link, Henry C, Educational Director, United States Rubber Company. 
New Haven, Conn. 

Loughran, J. H., Director Americanization, Chester Shipbuilding Com- 
pany, Ltd., Chester, Pa. 

Luby, John C, Employment Manager, American Sugar Refining Company, 
Boston, Mass. 

Luddy, Mrs. Mary, Social Worker, 136 Maple Street, West Roxbury, 
Mass. 

Lyons, Albert E., Commissioner, W r all Paper Manufacturers Association, 
New York City. 

Lyons, Mrs. Albert E., New York City. 

Marr, Mrs. C. H., Hood Rubber Company, Watertown, Mass. 

Marsan, Miss V., Hood Rubber Company, Watertown, Mass. 

Marsh, Frank M., Superintendent of Employment and Service, Wal- 
worth Manufacturing Company, Boston, Mass. 

Mattox, W. C, Assistant to President, Walworth Manufacturing Com- 
pany, Boston, Mass. 

Mattox, Mrs. W. C, Boston, Mass. 

Mallon, H. C, Employment Manager, Fisk Rubber Company, Chicopee 
Falls, Mass. 

Mallory, Charles, Industrial Engineer, The Solvay Process Company. 
Syracuse, N. Y. 

Marston, Miss Annie F., Benefit Manager, Hood Rubber Company, 
Watertown, Mass. 

Mellen, Mortimer H., Supervisor, General Electric Company, West 
Lynn, Mass. 

Mellor, Leonard H., Assistant Superintendent, National Spun Silk Com- 
pany, New Bedford, Mass. 

Merriam, Burr J., Arnold Print Works, North Adams, Mass. 

Merrill, E. H., Superintendent, A. C. Lawrence Leather Company, 
Peabody, Mass. 

Merrill, Mrs. E. H., Peabody, Mass. 

Miller, Walter P., Chairman Americanization Committee, Chamber of 
Commerce, Philadelphia, Pa. 

Moore, Ralph M., Superintendent, Plant Brothers & Co., Manchester, 
N. H. 

Muirhead, A. S., Employment Manager, Mt. Hope Finishing Company, 
North Dighton, Mass. 

Mullen, Leroy A., Secretary for Industries, War Savings Division, Boston, 
Mass. 

Moses, H. A., President, Strathmore Paper Company, Mittineague, Mass. 

139 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

McClain, G. II., Assistant Employment Manager, Dayton Engineering 

Laboratories Company, Dayton, Ohio. 
McDaniel, Mrs. Helen, Hood Rubber Company, Watertown, Mass. 
McHugh, Edward P., Employment Manager, New York Belting and 

Packing Company, Passaic, N. J. 
McNamara, Mrs. William E., Service Director, Sharp Manufacturing 

Company, Boston, Mass. 
Newcomb, Austin H., Employment Manager, Worthington Pump and 

Machinery Company, Dean Works, Holyoke, Mass. 
Newcomb, Mrs. Austin H., Holyoke, Mass. 

Nugent, Miss Margaret A., Secretary, Mrs. F. Lothrop Ames, American- 
ization Chairman, National Civic Federation, 20 Ashburton Place, 

Boston, Mass. 
Nutting, Rena L., Welfare, Palmer Mill, Three Rivers, Mass. 
O'Brien, James H., Operating Superintendent, Boston Woven Hose and 

Rubber Company, Cambridge, Mass. 
O'Donnell, Mary I., Secretary Americanization Committee, Detroit 

Board of Commerce, Detroit ,Mich. 
Oetzel, J. George, Assistant to Works Engineer, General Electric Com- 
pany, Erie Works, Erie, Pa. 
Parker, H. R., Hood Rubber Company, Watertown, Mass. 
Parkinson, Royal, Manager Employment Service Department, American 

Optical Company, Southbridge, Mass. 
Paull, Charles H., Bureau Vocational Guidance, Harvard University, 

Cambridge, Mass. 
Pease, F. F., Apprentice Supervisor, Fore River Plant, Bethlehem Ship- 
building Corporation, Quincy, Mass. 
Perry, William P., Treasurer, Esleeck Mfg. Company, Turners Falls, 

Mass. 
Phipps, Harrie J., Superintendent of Schools, Walpole, Mass. 
Pierrel, Gren O., Industrial Secretary, Y. M. C. A., Worcester, Mass. 
Porter, C. H., Industrial Relations Manager, L. Candee & Co. (U. S. 

Rubber System), New Haven, Conn. 
Price, Charles B., Assistant Office Manager, Norton Company, Worcester, 

Mass. 
Quimby, George F., Industrial Service Secretary, Associated Industries 

of Massachusetts, Boston, Mass. 
Quimby, Mrs. George F., Boston, Mass. 
Quinby, Dr. R. S., Service Manager, Hood Rubber Company, Watertown, 

Mass. 
Quinby, Mrs. R. S., Watertown, Mass. 
Reynolds, Mary, Assistant Industrial Relations Manager, National India 

Rubber Company, Bristol, R. I. 
Robertson, E. B., Assistant General Superintendent, American Rubber 

Company, Cambridge, Mass. 
Robinson, Burr A., Industrial Relations, U. S. Rubber Company, New 

York City. 

140 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Robinson, John, Assistant Superintendent, Hathaway Manufacturing 
Company, New Bedford, Mass. 

Rogers, Ben. D., Superintendent Labor Bureau, Bird & Son, Inc., East 
Walpole, Mass. 

Rowland, J. W., Office Manager, The Fisk Rubber Company, Chicopee 
Falls, Mass. 

Russell, Robert, Assistant Superintendent, Acushnet Mills Corporation, 
New Bedford, Mass. 

St. Peter, Albert, Vice-President and Service Manager, Industrial Service 
Bureau, Pittsburgh, Pa. 

St. Peter, Mrs. Albert, Pittsburgh, Pa. 

Sanders, Edward W., Employment Manager, Passaic Cotton Mills, New 
Bedford, Mass. 

Sanders, Mrs. E. W., New Bedford, Mass. 

Schultz, W. J., Director of Employers Welfare Service, Packard Motor 
Car Company, Detroit, Mich. 

Seller, J. T., Secretary Industrial Relations, Greenfield Tap & Die Cor- 
poration, Greenfield, Mass. 

Shay, Caroline A., Teacher, Educational Department, Walter M. Lowney, 
Company, Boston, Mass. 

Shippen, Eugene R., Special Representative, War Camp Community 
Service, New York, N. Y. 

Short, Oliver C, Educational Director, Thomas Maddock Sons Com- 
pany, Trenton, N. J. 

Simeon, Charles J., Manager Employment Service Department, Morgan 
Construction Company, Worcester, Mass. 

Small, Charles R., Cambridge, Mass. 

Smethurst, George W., Clerk, American Printing Company, Fall River, 
Mass. 

Smith, E. Newton, Safety and Welfare, The Stanley Works, New Britain, 
Conn. 

Smith, L. J., Office Manager, Sigmund Eisner Company, Red Bank, N. J. 

Smith, Mrs. L. J., Red Bank, N. J. 

Smith, Mary P., Social Secretary, Walter M. Lowney Company, Boston, 
Mass. 

Smith, William C, Supervisor of Immigrant Education, State Depart- 
ment Education, Albany, N. Y. 

Smithers, Robert, Clerk, American Printing Company, Fall River, Mass. 

Spriegel, William R., in charge Americanization School and House Organ, 
Morgan & Wright, Detroit, Mich. 

Stevens, Ernest N., Assistant to Editor-in-Chief, Ginn & Co., Boston, 
Mass. 

Stone, Orra L., General Manager, Associated Industries of Massachu- 
setts, Boston, Mass. 

Sullivan, G. L., Employment Manager, Worthington Pump and Machin- 
ery Corporation, Cambridge, Mass. 

Sullivan, John R.> Assistant to Production Manager, Studebaker Corpo- 
ration, Detroit, Mich. 

141 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Thompson, Richard M., Director Industrial Relations, U. S. Rubber 
Company (Footwear Division), New Haven, Conn. 

Townsend, S. Paul, Secretary, Employment Managers Association, 
Boston, Mass. 

Turner, George H., Employment Manager, Lewis Manufacturing Com- 
pany, Walpole, Mass. 

Vermillion, E. C, Director Americanization, Firestone Tire and Rubber 
Company, Akron, Ohio. 

Waller, H. T., Board of Education, Akron, Ohio. 

Warren, A. G., Supervisor, American Steel and W r ire Company, Worces- 
ter, Mass. 

Waters, H. M., Advertising Manager, Ashton Valve Company, Cambridge, 
Mass. 

Watson, J. G., Director of Americanization, Goodyear Tire and Rubber 
Company, Akron, Ohio. 

Weaver, Earle W., A. C. Lawrence Leather Company, Peabody, Mass. 

Weaver, Mrs. Earle W\, Peabody, Mass. 

W r eissinger, H. L., Superintendent Finish Department, Osgood, Bradley 
Car Company, Worcester, Mass. 

Whipp, Thomas R., Cost Clerk, American Printing Company, Fall River, 
Mass. 

White, W r illiam A., Capt. U. S. Navy, retired, General Manager, Lowell 
Paper Tube Corporation, Lowell, Mass. 

Williams, Walter R., Industrial Relations Manager, U. S. Rubber Com- 
pany, Woonsocket, R. I. 

Williams, W T hiting, Director of Personnel, Hydraulic Pressed Steel Com- 
pany, Cleveland, Ohio. 

W r ilson, Miss I. M., Superintendent, Bay State Cotton Mills, Warner 
Division, Newburyport, Mass. 

W'oodworth, R. V., National Industrial Conference Board, Boston, Mass. 

Wyman, Alfred H., Director of W'elfare Work, Carnegie Steel Company, 
Pittsburgh, Pa. 



142 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Executive Committee 

GEORGE F. QUIMBY, Chairman, 

Associated Industries of Massachusetts, 1034 Kimball Building, 
Boston, Mass. 
MISS MARY I. O'DONNELL, Secretary, 

Secretary Americanization Committee, Detroit, Mich. 
E. H. FIESINGER, 

Solvay Process Company, Syracuse, N. Y. 
W. D. HOLDEN, 

United States Rubber Company, New York. 
MISS DELOS A. JAMES, 

Wilson & Company, Chicago, 111. 
E. H. MERRILL, 

A. C. Lawrence Leather Company, Peabody, Mass. 
CHARLES H. PAULL, 

Bureau of Vocational Guidance, Harvard University. 
ALBERT ST. PETER, 

Industrial Service Bureau, Pittsburgh, Pa. 
ROBERT S. QUINBY, 

Hood Rubber Company, Watertown, Mass. 
E. C. VERMILLION, 

Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio. 



Sub Committees 

ATTENDANCE 

Albert St. Peter, Industrial Service Bureau, Pittsburgh, Pa., Chairman. 

A. J. Beatty, American Rolling Mill Company, Middletown, Ohio. 

George B. Fout, Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company, Youngstown, 
Ohio. 

Theodore H. Kwarda, Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Com- 
pany, East Pittsburgh, Pa. 

Mary I. O'Donnell, Secretary Americanization Committee, Detroit, 
Mich. 

Alfred Wyman, Carnegie Steel Company, Pittsburgh, Pa. 

ENTERTAINMENT 

E. H. Merrill, A. C. Lawrence Leather Company, Peabody, Mass., 

Chairman. 
Herbert L. Baxter, Hood Rubber Company, Watertown, Mass. 
John E. Daniels, Associated Industries of Massachusetts, 1034 Kimball 

Building, Boston, Mass. 
Anna A. Doyle, Boston Confectionery Company, 814 Main Street, 

Cambridge, Mass. 
H. Gilbert Francke, Pacific Mills, 70 Kilby Street, Boston, Mass. 

143 



AMERICANIZATION IN INDUSTRIES 

Miss Mary L. Guyton, Boston Rubber Shoe Company, Maiden, Mass. 
Mrs. H. C. Joy, Boston, Mass. 

Miss Anna J. Kelly, A. C. Lawrence Leather Company, Peabody, Mass. 
Mrs. E. H. Merrill, Peabody, Mass. 

J. T. Seller, Greenfield Tap and Die Corporation, Greenfield, Mass. 
Mary P. Smith, Social Secretary, Walter M. Lowney Company, Boston, 
Mass. 

EXHIBITS 

Mervyn J. Bailey, Chairman, Hood Rubber Company, Watertown, 

Mass. 
Charles H. Paull, Bureau of Vocational Guidance, Harvard University. 

finance 

Wallace D. Holden, United States Rubber Company, New York City, 

Chairman. 
E. V. Buckley, Valley Americanization Committee, Sharon, Pa. 
W. J. Sciiultz, Packard Motor Car Company, Detroit, Mich. 
Jesse G. Watson, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio. 
Alfred P. Wyman, Carnegie Steel Company, Pittsburgh, Pa. 

FINDINGS 

E. H. Fiesinger, The Solvay Process Company, Syracuse, N. Y., Chair- 
man. 

S. W. Ashe, General Electric Company, Pittsfield, Mass. 

E. E. Bohner, Associated Industries of Massachusetts, 1034 Kimball 
Building, Boston, Mass. 

hotel 

Robert S. Quinby, Hood Rubber Company, W 7 atertown, Mass., Chair- 
man. 

E. E. Boyer, General Electric Company, West Lynn, Mass. 

S. Paul Townsend, Employment Managers Association, 201 Devonshire 
Street, Boston, Mass. 

PROGRAM 

E. C. Vermillion, Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio, 

Chairman. 
E. H. Fiesinger, The Solvay Process Company, Syracuse, N. Y. 
Miss Delos James, Wilson & Co., Chicago, 111. 
H. T. Waller, B. F. Goodrich Company, Akron, Ohio. 

PUBLICITY CHAIRMAN 

George R. Conroy, Associated Industries of Massachusetts, 1034 Kim- 
ball Building, Boston, Mass. 



144 

V?1 



